Hundreds enquire about the revised human settlements subsidies

On 1 April, the first day of the opening of the Individual and revised Finance Linked Individual Subsidies (FLISP), 447 persons visited the offices of the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDoHS) in Cape Town, to enquire about how to access these subsidies. A total of 33 applications were submitted. These consisted of 7 for FLISP and 26 for the Individual Subsidy. 

Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements, Tertuis Simmers said: “I was pleasantly surprised to see the snaking queue around the building when I arrived early on Friday morning. At the same time, I’m also pleased with the response from our residents, as this is why we’ve been advocating for subsidies to be revised. With more residents now being empowered with information, we’re expecting a further influx of applications and queries. Given that 3 695 FLISP applications have been approved by my department between April 2020 – the end of March 2022, this response is what we’ve expected.”

FLISP targets residents with a household income ranging between R 3 501 – R 22 000. This subsidy is now delinked from being a mortgage only option, and can also now be accessed through: 

• Housing loans granted or guaranteed by a pension and provident fund.
• Unsecured housing loans from any registered lender.
• Housing loans granted or guaranteed by cooperative- or community-based savings scheme/stokvel.
• Housing loans supported by employer-based schemes.

The Individual Subsidy is aimed at residents with a household income of between R0 and R3 500 and allows one to: buy an existing house; buy a house on a plot-and-plan basis, or to finish an incomplete house. The subsidy amount is just over R200,000 and is paid directly to a seller, conveyancer, financier or contractor, depending on the case. It is offered once a year, only 1 600 opportunities are available and is allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

To qualify for this subsidy residents must :

• Be registered on the housing demand database (ie. waiting list)  at your nearest municipality;
• Must have been on the housing database for a minimum period of 10 years in Cape Town, and 5 years in areas outside of Cape Town;
• Be a South African citizen or have a permanent residency permit;
• 18 years or older;
• Be married or living with a partner;
• Be single or divorced, and have proven financial dependents living with you permanently;
• Not have owned a property before;
• Earn a monthly household income of R3500 or less, before deductions;

Not have received a housing subsidy from government before.

For queries or information, residents can contact the helpdesk on 021 483 6488/0611/8984, Monday to Friday from 07:30 – 15:00.

Simmers added: “I’d like to commend our officials at the helpdesk for ensuring that it is not a laborious and drawn-out process, as each client is attended to quite swiftly. I encourage those who are seeking to apply for these subsidies to urgently do so. 

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