The National Housing Corporation (NHC) in Morogoro Region has appealed to tenants occupying a building jointly owned with investor Sameer Ismail popularly known as Lotto to vacate voluntarily to allow for long-overdue renovations.
NHC Morogoro Regional Manager, Lwitiko Ndigha, made the appeal following concerns raised by some tenants, who spoke anonymously, alleging that they had received a seven-day notice from the Corporation to leave the premises.
Ndigha confirmed that NHC has a joint development agreement with investor Lotto and that several meetings had been held instructing the investor to remove tenants to allow NHC to complete the building to the required standards.
“The investor has taken many years to complete the project. Since the building remains unfinished, we’ve stepped in to finalize it and have instructed him to facilitate the removal of tenants,” Ndigha stated.
He further explained that after the investor failed to act, NHC issued notices directly to the tenants. Some have acknowledged receipt of the notice while others have not.
Those who comply and vacate voluntarily will be given priority to reoccupy the building once renovations are complete.
Following Ndigha’s comments, the reporter contacted investor Sameer Ismail for clarification. He stated that progress has been made toward the completion of the building and assured the public of its structural integrity.
“I signed the contract with NHC around 2006/2007 and began construction. They initially requested a six-story structure, but I informed them that I could only afford to build three stories. I want to assure tenants and the public that the building is safe and complies with all construction standards,” he said.
When asked about the eviction notices, Lotto declined to comment further, stating that the matter is currently under judicial consideration.