More people’s lives are improved through moving into Forest Village development

Western Cape Human Settlements Minister, Tertuis Simmers says, since the beginning of August 2020, 132 deserving and qualifying beneficiaries have moved into their brand-new homes in Forest Village, Eersteriver.

All beneficiaries are from neighbouring communities such as Eersteriver, Blue Downs, Mfuleni and Blackheath. This brings the total number of local and N2 Gateway residents who have benefitted from the development since the end of May 2020, to 451.

Minister Simmers said: "Moments such as these where beneficiaries move into their own homes are precious and life changing. They’re making a tangible and life-long difference in the lives of our people. For the first time in their lives, they now have their own roofs over their heads.

It is critical that our beneficiaries value the asset which they receive and take care of it. We encourage citizens to draft a will and ensure that they leave a legacy for their children. They should also not consider renting or selling the property, as doing so would suggest that they never had a housing need to start with.

It is further pleasing to note that approximately 90 beneficiaries will be moving in during September.”

Forest Village is one of the Department’s Catalytic Projects, which commenced in January 2016 and has a budget allocation of R1.1billion. This mixed-use development consists of various types of units to cater for beneficiaries of different income levels and specific needs such as Military Veterans, Breaking New Ground (BNG) and Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) units.

Simmers added: “As the Western Cape Government, we remain committed to accelerating human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient, safe and sustainable human settlements in an open opportunity society.”