Government Housing Beneficiaries to Receive Houses

Five beneficiaries at the Harmony Village Housing Project in Mitchells Plain, including Mrs Roselyn Boosman, 50, and Ms Irene Baatjies, 58, will receive the keys to their new houses at a ceremony today. All media are invited.

The event will be attended by international delegates from the 2013 South African Housing Federation International Conference, along with Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, and Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) CEO Mr Fungai Mudimo.

The handover will be preceded by a formal programme, in which Minister Madikizela, Mr Mudimo and other dignitaries and councillors will be speaking.

To qualify, beneficiaries need to meet the following criteria:

• Household income between R3 000 – R3 500
• First time receiver of a housing subsidy
• First time home owner
• Clean credit record (affordability)
• South African citizen of permanent resident
• Married or single with dependents
• Must not own property
• Permanently employed
• Competent to contract 
• Able to pay the required R5 000 deposit to Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC)

The project is a result of partnership between the department, the City of Cape Town and the CTCHC. It represents a sustainable model of housing, in which there is both a government and a beneficiary contribution,  enabling higher quality housing delivery than standard fully subsidised houses, and as well as creating a sense of responsibility among the beneficiaries as they contribute towards capital and service costs.

The Western Cape Government is providing R88,2 million in institutional subsidy funding and the NHFC (National Housing Finance Corporation) will provide the balance on land made available by the City of Cape Town. The NHFC contribution will be used to fund loans of up to R130 000, which the beneficiaries will repay over a 25-year period, with an average monthly instalment of around R1 000 per month. The institutional subsidy funding will cover the rest of the cost of the units and does not need to be repaid.

The project will deliver 850, two-bedroom, one-bathroom units, costing R206 000 each, and of which the first 20 are completed. Construction began in March 2013 and is scheduled to be complete in February 2015. Currently R41,4 million of the R178,9 million budget has been spent.

Enquiries can be made through the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) at 021 552 1780 or 086 651 9495.

All media are invited

Date: 19 September  2013
Venue:  Harmony Village, Mitchells Plain, Cape Town

Directions
Take the N2 from Settlers Way towards Somerset West.  After around 7 km, take Exit 14 for the M7. Turn right onto Vanguard Drive. Travel around 11,5 km, then turn left onto Morgenster Road. Travel about 350m and you will see the development.