If your household income falls between R 0 and R 3500 per month, you may qualify for one of the following government housing subsidies and programmes.
To access one of these subsidies, you must be registered on the housing demand database at your nearest municipality.
Individual Subsidy
The Individual Housing Subsidy can be used to buy an existing house OR buy a house on a plot-and-plan basis OR finish an incomplete house.
Applications open only once a year, in April, and close as soon as the subsidy allocation limit has been reached. The subsidy amount is up to R261 364.
Applications and enquiries can be made directly at the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure.
Social Housing Programme
With the Social Housing Programme subsidy you can gain access to a rental house or apartment.
Government funding is provided to social housing institutions to manage the rental units. You then pay a reduced rental amount, based on your household income, to the social housing institution.
Enquiries and applications can be made directly at your nearest municipality.
Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP)
With this subsidy you will be able to get land, service a site and build a home. It is provided to Local Municipalities.
Applications and enquiries can be made directly at your nearest municipality.
Institutional Housing Subsidy
With this subsidy you can gain access to a rental unit or rent-to-buy opportunity.
Government funding is provided to Housing Institutions to build and manage the rental units. You then pay a reduced rental amount, based on your household income, to the Housing Institution.
Enquiries and applications can be made directly at your nearest municipality.
Upgrading of Informal Settlements (UISP)
This programme gives you access to a serviced parcel of land in an informal settlement. What this includes is a parcel of land with access to water, sanitation and electricity services.
You can later apply for assistance to build a house on your stand through one of the government’s other housing subsidies e.g. the Individual Subsidy, the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) programme, or the Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP).
Enquiries and applications can be made at your nearest municipality.
Consolidation Subsidy
If you already owned and received a serviced site before 1994, you may apply for this subsidy. It amounts to R109 947 and you can use it to build your house, upgrade or complete a non-subsidy house.
Consolidation subsidies are provided on a project basis and not to an individual.
Contact your nearest municipality for enquiries and applications.
Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme
This programme will help you become a homeowner of pre-1994 government-owned rental housing (municipal and provincial).
If you have been renting a government property since before 1994, you can qualify for this programme.
Enquiries and applications can be made directly at your nearest municipality.
Contact details:
- Visit 27 Wale Street, Cape Town
- Call the Help Desk on 021 483 6488/0611/0623/2060/3112 (Monday to Friday from 07:30 – 15:00)
- Email human.settlements@westerncape.gov.za; or
- Visit the departmental website: www.westerncape.gov.za/tpw/department-of-infrastructure