Forest Village housing development continues to improve the lives of people

On 27 and 28 October 2020, 43 deserving and qualifying beneficiaries moved into their brand-new homes in Forest Village, Eersteriver. This means since the beginning of August 2020, 195 people have benefitted from this Catalytic Project.  

All beneficiaries are from neighbouring communities such as Eersteriver, Eersteriver South, Electric City, Faure, Dreamworld, Blue Downs, Malibu Village, Kleinvlei, Rosedale, Mfuleni and Fairdale. This brings the total number of local and N2 Gateway residents who have benefitted from the development since the end of May 2020, to just under 500.
 
I am pleased with the steady progress we are making in affording our beneficiaries these housing opportunities. These opportunities are 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. This is another clear demonstration of how the Western Cape Government is improving the lives of our people, restoring their dignity, while ensuring greater safety and well-being.

It is critical that our beneficiaries value the asset which they receive and take care of it. We encourage citizens to draft a will, especially this week, as it is National Wills Week, which offers an opportunity to have a will drafted for free. This will 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 important to note that should a beneficiary wish to sell the property within the first 8 years after receiving the property, compelling reasons for the sale would be required, permission from the State is needed, while Government should be given the first opportunity.

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.

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.