Human Settlements Strategic Partners

National Department of Human Settlements (DHS)

The Department of Human Settlements is responsible for developing sustainable integrated human settlements in South Africa. This means that we are tasked with creating human settlements that allow its residents to access social and economic opportunities close to where they live.

Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB)

The Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) was established in 1976 in terms of the Estate Agency Affairs Act 112 of 1976 (‘the Act”), with the mandate to regulate and control certain activities of estate agents in the public interest.

The EAAB regulates the estate agency profession through ensuring that all persons carrying out the activities of an estate agent as a service to the public are registered with the EAAB. A Fidelity Fund Certificate, which is to be renewed each year is issued as evidence of such registration and confirmation that such person is legally entitled to carry out the activities of an estate agent.

The Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), which has been reporting to the Minister of Trade and industry since 1976, was transferred to the Department of Human Settlements on 17 May 2012 by Proclamation of the President of the Republic of South Africa.

National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC)

The National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) was established by the National Department of Human Settlements as a Development Finance Institution (DFI) in 1996, with the principal mandate of broadening and deepening access to affordable housing finance for the low-to-middle income South African households.

The NHFC provides Project Finance to Social Housing Institutions and Property Practitioners who develop projects for ownership or rental housing purposes; including inner city renewal developments.

National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency (NURCHA)

NURCHA is an innovative development finance company that provides Bridging Finance and Construction Support Services to Contractors and Developers.

We finance and support the construction of Subsidy and Affordable Housing, Infrastructure and Community Facilities. We also provide Account Administration,Project and Programme Management Services to Local and Provincial Authorities.

NURCHA is funded by the South African Government in partnership with the Soros Foundation, various overseas donors and other commercial lenders.

Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA)

The Social Housing Regulatory Authority (the"SHRA") was established in August 2010 by the Minister of Human Settlements in terms of the Social Housing Act, No. 16 of 2008. The SHRA is classified as a public entity in terms of Schedule 3A of the Public Finance Management Act.
Functions:

• Promote the development and awareness of social housing by providing an enabling environment for the growth and development of the social housing sector.
• Provide advice and support to the Department of Human Settlements in its development of policy for the social housing sector and facilitate national social housing programmes
• Provide best practice information and research on the status of the social housing sector
• Support provincial governments with the approval of project applications by social housing institutions
• Provide assistance, when requested, with the process of the designation of restructuring zones
• Enter into agreements with provincial governments and the National Housing Finance Corporation to ensure the co-ordinated exercise of powers

National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC)

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is a regulator body of the home building industry. Our goal is to assist and protect housing consumers who have been exposed to contractors who deliver housing units of substandard design, workmanship and poor quality material. No matter the size or value of your home building project the NHBRC is here to protect you, the housing consumer.

Established in 1998, in accordance with the provisions of The Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act (Act No. 95 of 1998) the NHBRC’s mandate is to protect the interests of housing consumers and to ensure compliance to regulated building industry standards.
As a valued customer, we urge you to ensure that your builder is registered and certified by the NHBRC. In terms of The Housing Consumers Protection Measurers Act, any person in the business of building homes is required by law to register with us. The NHBRC certifies builders who meet regulated industry criteria for technical, construction and financial capabilities.

Your home enrolment with the NHBRC insures you against poor building practises. Our quality building inspections ensure that your home is not exposed to structural failure.

Rural Housing Loan Fund (RHLF)

The Rural Housing Loan Fund (RHLF) is a Section 21 Company,” Associated Not for Gain”, which was established in 1996 by the national Department of Housing, South Africa with initial grant funding from the German development bank, the Kreditanstalt "fur Weiderbaufbau (KFW). RHLF was set up as a wholesale development finance institution with the mandate of enabling low income earners to access small loans that they could afford to repay. Borrowers use these loans to incrementally improve their housing conditions. As a wholesale finance institution, RHLF facilitate housing microloans through intermediary or retail housing finance lenders. These partners borrow funds from RHLF and on-lend to individual borrowers throughout the rural areas of South Africa, including small towns and secondary cities. Our intermediary lenders enable RHLF to reach all nine provinces of South Africa.

The Housing Development Agency (HDA)

The Housing Development Agency (HDA) was established in 2009 as a public development agency whose mission is fast-tracking the acquisition and release of state, private and communally owned land for human settlement developments. The HDA will also provide project management services for the development of human settlements.