under the Ministry of Public Works, drafted a housing strategy in 2001, and a housing policy in 2005. This was followed by a national conference organized by the Ministry of Public Works and UN-HABITAT in mid-2006 with a view to gathering input on a housing policy. 189. In 1995, the State set up the Housing Promotion Fund (FFH) with a view to promoting social housing for families in the low-income bracket, qualified technicians and newly married couples. Fifty percent of the Fund’s revenue derives from the alienation of nationalized houses – a process completed in 2005 – , the payment of loans, and the sale of houses built by the State. Funds derived from sales have been deposited into commercial banks, earning interest. In its first 9 years, FFH has delivered 6,000 plots with basic service connections, assisted in the construction of about 1,000 houses and in the completion or rehabilitation of 1,000 others under the first Leasing Program. 190. According to data from the National Statistics Bureau (INE) for 1997, only 27.5% of the urban population lives in adequate or modern housing conditions. Over the past decades, Mozambique has recorded satisfactory economic development indicators. There has been a substantial reduction in absolute poverty indices at national level: from 69% in (1997) to 54% in (2003). The perception, among the people, of “economic prosperity” stimulated the exodus from rural areas, which made the situation in cities unbearable. 191. Regarding access to water and sanitation, Article 98 of the CRM says: “1. Natural resources existing in the soil and subsoil, interior waters, in the sea, in the continental shelf and in the exclusive economic zone shall be the property of the State; 2. The public domain of the State includes: a) the maritime zone;….e) water resources potential…; 3. The Law shall regulate public domain property as well as its administration and conservation, while distinguishing the various categories of public domain: State domain, town council domain, and community domain. The Law upholds the principle of imprescriptibility and restraint of mortage”. 192. In terms of Article 98 of the CRM, water belongs to the State and being a public domain resource access to water shall be regulated by the National Water Policy in terms of Resolution № 7/95 of 8 August, approved by the Ministers Council. The National Water Policy lays down the guidelines for expanding the water-supply reticulation system. Operating instruments have been put in place to implement this policy, namely the Rural Water and Sanitation Strategic Plan, the National Water Resources Management Strategy and the Urban Water and Sanitation Strategic Plan. 193. In Mozambique, access to water is still defective. Each person gets less than the recommended daily average of 20 liters. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that remarkable progress has been made since 1975 whereby access to water points has increased from 5% to 57%. 194. According to government projections, 70% of the country’s population should have access to drinking water by 2015, compared to the current 57% of the Combined Report from the Republic of Mozambique to the ACHPR, 1999-2010 33