Western Cape Brings Joy To Recipients Of The Forest Village Housing Project

Today, Western Cape Human Settlements Minister, Tertuis Simmers, handed over 42 houses to beneficiaries, as part of the Forest Village Housing Development in Eersteriver.

Forest Village is one of the Department’s Catalytic Projects, which commenced in January 2016 and has a budget allocation of R1,1 billion. 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.

Minister Simmers said: “Today is truly special, as we had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of 42 people and their families. I share in the joy that our beneficiaries expressed when they received their homes. It is yet another demonstration of the provincial government’s commitment to restoring dignity and creating a better life for the people of this province.

We will continue to accelerate human settlement delivery, while promoting social inclusion through the development of integrated, resilient and sustainable human settlements in an open society. It is for this reason that I have instructed my Department to ensure that delivery is fast-tracked, so that those earmarked to benefit from this project are able to speedily do so.

Despite continued delivery, our backlog continues to grow in the face of an increasing population and a shrinking budget. It is therefore critical that we focus on finding innovative and creative ways to make our budget stretch further by prioritising the upgrade of informal settlements and unlocking opportunities for the affordable/GAP market; so that opportunities to more people can be delivered,” he said.

The event was attended by officials and stakeholders from the City of Cape Town, the Department, contractors and the community to share the joy of housing recipients.

Said Simmers: “I commend the Department’s officials and contractors who are working at a rapid pace to ensure that houses are delivered to the most vulnerable and needy in our communities. I’d also like to remind our beneficiaries that they now have a responsibility to take care of their homes. I look forward to returning to the area to handover more houses and engaging with the community.”

Units of a high standard are being built, with Green Alternative Building Technology (GABT) being incorporated into these developments. 5% of the entire project is dedicated to people with special needs, with units including wheelchair ramps and railings for the disabled.

To date, more than 1200 units have already been handed over in this project. Upon completion in December 2020, it is anticipated to yield a total of 4820 housing opportunities for the people of the Western Cape.