The DA in the Western Cape is concerned about the extent to which the National Government is causing delays in delivering housing opportunities to the people of the Western Cape.
The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements today briefed the Standing Committee on Human Settlements in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament on the delivery of housing opportunities to those who fall in the GAP housing market.
It was revealed that a zone application was submitted to the National Housing Agency for the Plettenberg Bay area in 2012/13. The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements is still awaiting approval for the request. The delay in response from the national entity has meant a delay in delivery to those on the ground.
The Western Cape Department places emphasis on developing housing opportunities in central areas, which are close to public transport as well as other amenities. In addition, it also ensures that there is capacity for communities to house their own businesses. This redress-based approach to human settlements does require additional funding and it is crucial that the process to obtain this funding is smooth and efficient.
There are currently around 14 300 housing opportunities outside of the Cape Town Metro that are to be explored. Non-metro social housing requires the identification of restructuring, which would also require additional funding from National Government.
Social housing is a means by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements addresses the needs of those who fall in the GAP housing market. These are housing consumers earn between R3 501 and R15 000 per month, which means they earn too much to qualify for a housing subsidy and too little to qualify for a bond.
The Department reiterated its commitment to social housing becoming a gateway to ownership, for those who fall in the GAP housing market.
Despite these funding challenges, the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements is forecasting projects in advance to ensure that people are capacitated in order to receive housing. In other words, when the department begins to plan a housing delivery project, it also embarks on educating the recipients so as to ensure that credit records.
The DA-led government in the Western Cape is committed to ensuring that those who are in need of support in aid of accessing housing, as enshrined in our Constitution, is able to receive it.
