Western Cape Human Settlements budget is to empower our people | Western Cape Government

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Western Cape Human Settlements budget is to empower our people

31 March 2021

For the 2021/22 financial year, the Western Cape Department Human Settlements’ budget of just over R 2,35 billion, is set to empower and drastically change the lives of the people of this province.

This budget will enable us to deliver 14 596 housing opportunities, which will consist of 6 324 serviced sites and 8 272 units. Part of this year’s allocation is the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant, which amounts to just over R 457 million. This is a people-centred and partnership-based approach to support informal settlement residents across the Western Cape and more than 74 000 households in various informal settlements across the Western Cape will experience an improvement in their area.

Further to this, there will also be a keen focus on the rapid land release programme, which focuses on the delivery of serviced sites and stands for qualifying beneficiaries on land earmarked for human settlement development and provision of medium to high densities.

An exciting feature of the new financial year is the Western Cape Asset Finance Reserve for Human Settlements. Since the National Department of Human Settlements Water and Sanitation stopped the Title Deed Restoration Grant, this reserve will ensure that we are still able to transfer 8 110 Title Deeds to qualifying beneficiaries in the 2021/22 financial year, and therefore empower our people to become fully-fledged and legal homeowners through assistance form the Western Cape Government.

This is particularly important, as we believe that ownership is real empowerment.

Since taking office at the end of May 2019, I’ve committed to key drivers to propel human settlements on an upward trajectory. They are:

  1. Radical Acceleration of Housing Opportunities;
  2. Radical Implementation of Innovative Solutions;
  3. An Integrated Approach to Human Settlements and
  4. Radical Empowerment and Job Creation.

 

This is part of the reason why we will continue to use 50% of our Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) to empower contractors from all targeted groups including women and youth. Utilising the EPWP-programme, 800 job opportunities will be created.

500 Houses will also be built using sustainable building technologies, and this will particularly be incorporated at our Transhex Catalytic project in Worcester. Phase 1 of the project, which has various sub-phases, will deliver 3226 mixed housing opportunities, 4 places of worship, 1 site for a primary school and 6 business sites. This phase is envisaged to be completed by 2022.

With more than 70% of the people in the Western Cape being employed, a keen area of focus will be placed on assisting those in the Affordable Housing Market, as their household income is more than R 3 500 per month and therefore they will never qualify for a BNG/free house.

Part of the Affordable Housing Market is our Social Housing Developments, of which 8 are in the Western Cape, which is the most in the country. Amongst others, we have the Anchorage in Glenhaven, Bellville, Regent Villa’s in Mitchell’s Plain, Pine Road located in Woodstock.

We also have the Goodwood Station development, which will commence in this year. Upon completion, it is expected to yield 1 055 units.

In Glenhaven, the entire development consists of 512 units. Thus far, 209 of the completed 416 units as part of Phase 1 are already occupied. The second phase consists of a single four-storey building of 96 units. At the Regent Villas development, which consists of 104 units, 77 are already occupied.

Over the next ten years, plans are afoot to implement approximately 82 potential projects throughout the province. This entails approximately 22 000 units in areas such as Salt River, the Artscape/Founders Garden and Helen Bowden/Somerset Hospital Initiatives.

I’d also like to use this opportunity to remind all citizens about the Financed Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP), which is a housing subsidy for first-time home buyers. This is to assist with the purchasing of a home, for those with a household monthly income of R 3 501 – R 22000.

We are looking forward to the implementation of the deferred ownership pilot project that will be rolled out in the Cape Agulhas Municipality. This is primarily focussed on those individuals who are seeking to acquire property but due to various reasons are unable to do so immediately. Through this initiative they will have an opportunity to form part of the wider credit readiness programme, while renting their units and the possibility of eventually owning these properties.

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.” 

Media Enquiries: 

Marcellino Martin
Spokesperson for Minister Tertuis Simmers
Tel: 021 483 3397
Mobile: 082 721 3362
Email: Marcellino.martin@westerncape.gov.za 

or

Nathan Adriaanse
Director Communication & Stakeholder Relations
Tell: 021 483 2868
Mobile: 083 2631720
Email: Nathan.Adriaanse@westerncape.gov.za