The City of Cape Town’s Public Housing Department has spent more than R24 million since June 2019 in vandalism-related repair work at its Community Residential Units (CRUs). This severely drains the maintenance budget of the City’s Public Housing Department. These maintenance costs are one of the biggest reasons why normal maintenance is delayed at these units.
- The replacement of vandalised doors and window panes and fire damage make up the majority of the repair work.
- Overall, the City has spent approximately R1 billion in maintenance at its public housing units over the past two years.
‘This is a challenge for the City’s Public Housing Department, which provides affordable housing opportunities, as our resources are being used for avoidable repairs and maintenance that has not been planned for. We encourage our tenants to treat our units, which are their homes, with respect as we continue to work as hard as we can to maintain them. More than 6 000 maintenance service requests have been attended to since July 2020. Covid-19 has impacted on our response times and we thank tenants for their understanding. We urge residents to please be patient while we attend to the most urgent cases first.
‘The funding spent to date, the service requests dealt with and the City’s responsiveness are testament to our commitment to our tenants and to the importance we place on their living conditions,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.
City CRUs are home to more than 43 500 tenants and their families and are located across the metro from Atlantis to Strand and Ocean View. Rental payments are important to ensuring the City’s rental units are maintained. The City encourages tenants who are living in its rental accommodation to settle their arrears or to enter into payment arrangements should they be experiencing financial challenges. They are also encouraged to apply for one of the many types of relief, which is available to our residents.
Rental housing is one of the ways the City provides housing opportunities to qualifying beneficiaries. Everyone has a role to play and tenants must contribute their share so that the City can ensure that tenants and their families have access to improved living conditions. Every rand counts and the City thanks its tenants who have been paying their rentals.
For account and City-rental payments:
- Online: www.Easypay.co.za or www.powertime.co.za
- EFTs: Select the City as a bank-listed beneficiary. Use only your nine-digit municipal account number as reference
- ATM: contact your bank to add the City as an ATM beneficiary
- Retailers: Shoprite, Checkers, USave, Pick n Pay, PEP, Ackermans, Lewis, Top It Up, Woolworths and selected Spar shops
Contact us:
Human Settlements Directorate’s Call Centre: 021 444 0333 or send a WhatsApp to 063 299 9927