MONROVIA – Since assuming leadership of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Florence Geegbae has made notable strides in improving the agency’s operations and addressing key challenges in Liberia’s housing sector. From facility rehabilitation to attracting international investors, Geegbae’s tenure has been marked by determinations to enhance public housing despite limited resources.
Upon her appointment, Geegbae found the NHA’s facilities in need of serious upgrades. She quickly moved to contract a construction company to rehabilitate two critical buildings, investing USD 60,000. “When I took over the facility, there was a need for rehabilitation, so I contracted a construction company to rehabilitate the two buildings at the cost of $60,000,” Geegbae stated. “From that, we were able to get minimum office equipment and working tools.”
Geegbae’s focus on improving internal operations has led to the implementation of new policies aimed at streamlining functions within the NHA. “We have put in place systems and structures for improved administrative functions. These systems include the procurement policy and service delivery chapter, HR manners, and human resource policies to guide the HR department,” she explained.
However, Geegbae’s biggest challenge has been funding. Despite the agency’s progress, the NHA has been allocated only $24,000 for the 2024 budget year. Geegbae emphasized that with adequate funding, the NHA would be able to start major construction projects, with plans already in place.
“We should have been breaking ground now. The investors that we have been able to bring through our meetings and conferences, both locally and internationally, need to see a land deed on which they are going to do their constructions or projects,” Geegbae said. The NHA has been in talks with the Liberia Land Authority to survey land in Grand Bassa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Bomi counties. They have identified over 1,025 acres of land, with three parcels already surveyed.
“We were able to survey three of those already with the minimum amount we have. We are trying to see that this fiscal period we will be able to service the remaining lands in order to get entitlement to the deeds,” she said.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) is a Government of Liberia agency established by an Act of the Legislature in 1960 to provide affordable housing for low-income citizens.
Its mission of providing affordable housing for the people of Liberia remains the NHA’s top priority. Beyond land development, Madam Geegbae highlighted key partnerships with international investors, which she hopes will bring future housing projects to life. The NHA has identified six signature projects out of thirty potential buyers. “We have done minimum feasibility studies of off-takers, which we consider as buyers. Thirty of them have expressed interest to partner with us, and out of these, we have six that we consider as signature projects,” she noted.
In addition, Geegbae discussed the NHA’s ongoing discussions with the Liberia Bank for Development Investment (LBDI), focusing on mortgage solutions and potential partnerships with Republic Bank, located in Ghana. “We have been having conversations on the issue of mortgage, and LBDI has committed to partnering with Republic Bank,” Geegbae said. “They do housing development finance agreements, and they specialize in national housing development schemes.”
Despite these promising developments, funding remains the main bottleneck for the NHA’s progress. Geegbae expressed hope that with the right resources, Liberia could see significant improvements in the housing sector.
“The major challenge that we are faced with is funding. If we have the requisite funding, we will be able to do much more as an entity. We have designed a lot of business proposals but we don’t have the requisite funding,” she lamented. “If we can get 3.5 million USD, we will be able to construct over 500 units.”
Geegbae’s leadership at the NHA is focused on pushing forward despite the constraints. “We are getting the requisite investors, and surveying the lands has been our major achievement for 2024,” she concluded.
