The City of Cape Town has, for the first time since it was formed in December 2000, exceeded its annual target for the delivery of housing opportunities.
I wish to congratulate officials from the City’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) for their exceptional performance over the past financial year. Their hard work and dedication have made it possible for the City to exceed the target for the delivery of State-subsidised housing opportunities for the first time since the metro was established in December 2000.
The Human Settlement Implementation Department, which forms part of the TDA, is responsible for the development of new housing opportunities. This department has exceeded its delivery targets by 62% or 3 100 opportunities for the 2017/18 financial year that ended on 30 June 2018.
The department’s initial target was to provide 4 961 housing opportunities consisting of 1 808 serviced sites, and 3 153 State-subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
The multi-party TDA transversal committee challenged the department to outperform by increasing their annual target by more than one third. This adjustment happened about six months into the new financial year, and after it became apparent that the department would exceed their initial goals for the year. The new target was set at 6 677 housing opportunities consisting of 2 992 serviced sites, and 3 685 BNG houses.
Even these targets were exceeded. By 30 June 2018 the TDA had delivered 4 349 serviced sites, and 3 712 BNG houses – a total of 8 061 housing opportunities as opposed to the initial 4 961 set for the year.
I know these figures might seem small in comparison with the dire need for affordable and decent housing in Cape Town. However, what this achievement has confirmed is that the TDA is on the right track, and is delivering on its mandate to expedite the delivery of new housing opportunities.
This should serve as an accolade and a motivation to our officials, who are already working long hours, to work even harder and smarter to benefit those most in need.
I want to publically thank Director Ray Rughubar and his dedicated team for the many long days, nights, and weekends that they have sacrificed to achieve this.
Those of us working in local government do so to serve, and I am proud to be the political head of this amazing team.