A Western Cape housing subsidy that suits your pocket is available

Assisting the most vulnerable in our society, particularly for low-income applicants who want to buy a residential property for the first time, is a primary priority for the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements. It is for this reason that we have three categories of housing subsidies available - we recognise that different people will qualify for different subsidies, as their needs are not all the same.

These categories are the Non-credit linked, credit linked and Finance Linked Individual Subsidy (FLISP).Each category is unique, caters for a specific group and one of the biggest benefits is that the subsidy isn't a loan and you don't have to pay it back.

In the case of the Non-credit linked subsidy, this is available to persons earning R0-R3 500 per month to buy an existing house or plot that must be linked to the construction of a house. In this instance, the person qualifies for a subsidy of R168 852.00 and the difference in the selling price if any is financed from another source.

The normal qualifying criteria applies with the additional Western Cape requirement that persons applying must be on the Housing Demand Database (HDD) for a period of 10years in the Metro and 5 years for non-Metro areas. It is critical to note that priority will be given to those who are older than 40 years, persons with disabilities, those on the HDD for 15 years and longer, along with backyard dwellers. Property owners whom have also acquired an erf without State assistance may also apply if they conform to the other criteria.

When it comes to the credit linked subsidy, there must be a loan from a recognised financial institution. As an example, this means if a person is planning to buy a house for R200 000, they will qualify for a subsidy of R 168 852.00 and the balance must be financed via a bank.

Finally, the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy (FLISP), is another form of the Credit linked Subsidy, but the income category is R3 501-R22 000.00. This programme similarly to the credit linked does not have the HDD requirement as the non-credit linked has.

The requirement of the programme is that an applicant must obtain a Mortgage loan in order to qualify to purchase an existing house or a plot linked to a building contract.

Further to this, the programme makes provision for those earning between R3 501 and R7 000 to be assisted with a free serviced site as their once off assistance. This means they cannot apply for any subsidy after being assisted in this manner.

FLISP is proving to be quite popular, as during the 2019/20 financial year, the Department received 2 340 applications, with 1 843 being approved.

Anyone with queries can contact our helpdesk on 021 483 6488 /3112 /0611 /8984 /0623 or e-mail my office on humanmin@westerncape.gov.za

These subsidies offer an array of opportunities to those who might require State assistance. As the Western Cape Government, we’d like to encourage you to use these opportunities, as it can assist to dramatically improve your life. As we’re a caring government, it is critical for our citizens to know that we are here to work with you to achieve this dream of acquiring your own home.