The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, has today, 19 October 2017, tabled its 2016/17 Annual Report. The Department is delighted to announce it has delivered 19 829 human settlement opportunities against a target of 19 664, for the 2016/17 financial year.
The Department made efforts to ensure that beneficiaries receive full ownership of their houses in the form of title deeds. A total of 9 767 title deeds were transferred to beneficiaries for the relevant financial year against the target of 7000.
The Department also succeeded in securing more land for human settlement development than was anticipated. It secured 50.11 hectares of land for the development of affordable housing and 483.16 hectares for catalytic projects, against a target of 40 and 200 hectares, respectively.
During the 2016/17 financial year, a number of research studies were conducted which includes an enumeration study for eleven (11) informal settlements in Cape Town, linked to the Southern Corridor catalytic project. The study included the detailed profiling of households in these areas and a comprehensive report was produced per informal settlement. The enumeration study provided a rich dataset to be used in the design of human settlement solutions for these communities.
The Department is also in the process of developing a draft Bill to obtain powers to acquire and dispose of land for human settlement development, particularly for affordable housing and catalytic projects. The Bill has been submitted to the Provincial Parliament for consideration. This legislation will enable and empower the Department to further deliver on its mandate.
The Department also drafted policy guidelines for assessing the eligibility of persons with disabilities for subsidies by improving alignment with other assessment processes in the social development sector.
Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela said: “The mandate of this Department is to house, employ and empower. 1079 jobs were created and 50.12% of our budget is spent on Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI’s).”
Mrs Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka
Spokesperson for Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela
Tel: 021 483 4798
Cell: 082 953 0026
Mr Nathan Adriaanse
Director: Communication and Stakeholder Relations
Tel: 021 483 2868
Cell: 083 263 1720