Bulawayo’s housing crisis has reached alarming proportions, with the city council’s waiting list swelling to more than 161 000 applicants as of December 2025.
This represents a steady rise from over 158 000 recorded just a few months earlier, underlining a deepening urban challenge that authorities can no longer treat as routine administration.
The latest council minutes confirm what residents have long known: the demand for housing in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city far outstrips supply.
The growth of the waiting list reflects Bulawayo’s changing demographics. An influx of people from various parts of the country, driven by economic pressures and the search for opportunity, has placed immense strain on already limited housing stock.
While the updating and capturing of housing waiting register forms into the AS400 computer system is necessary for record-keeping and planning, it does little to address the lived reality of thousands who have waited for years, and in some cases decades, for a stand or decent accommodation.
More troubling are revelations that access to housing is increasingly being shaped by one’s ability to pay cash.
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Those with financial muscle are reportedly buying housing stands with ease, while land earmarked for council housing development is being contracted to private developers who demand upfront cash payments.
This market-driven approach effectively sidelines ordinary Bulawayo residents, many of whom face serious cash-flow challenges in a harsh economic environment.
It also opens the door for outsiders with money to outcompete locals, undermining social equity and the city’s obligation to serve its residents first.
The unresolved cases linked to the Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai double allocation of stands further expose governance and planning weaknesses.
The fact that 24 cases remain unresolved signals lingering administrative inefficiencies and erodes public confidence in council processes.
Housing is not a luxury; it is a basic right and a cornerstone of urban dignity. Bulawayo City Council, in collaboration with central government, must urgently rethink its housing delivery model.
Transparent land allocation, affordable housing schemes, and strict regulation of private developers are essential.