The City of Cape Town’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, as well as other dignitaries including ward councillors, celebrated with the latest beneficiaries of the City’s R130 million The Hague housing project in Delft today, 4 March 2021. A total of 14 beneficiaries received the keys to their new homes. More than 800 new Breaking New Ground (BNG) subsidy housing opportunities are being built in this phase and 361 homes have now been handed over.
‘Today we celebrate with these 14 beneficiaries and their families as they begin this new chapter. It is always pleasing to see progress being made at the City’s housing projects and to watch as the beneficiaries move into their homes. We remain committed to handing over new housing opportunities to qualifying beneficiaries to create opportunities for them and to enable redress. We will continue to protect our projects and the rights of residents who are waiting for housing opportunities. The City thanks the project teams for their hard work and dedication in helping us provide homes to the beneficiaries,’ said Mayor Plato.
Beneficiaries of the BNG houses are selected in accordance with the City’s Housing Allocation Policy and the City’s Housing Needs Register to ensure that housing opportunities are made available in a fair and transparent manner that prevents queue jumping and to those who qualify for housing as per the South African legislation
‘This project began in April 2018 and will provide a total of 2 407 BNG housing opportunities to our beneficiaries who are some of the most vulnerable in Cape Town. The project is expected to be concluded by the end of June 2021, if all goes according to plan. I urge all concerned to work with the City so that we can complete this project in the shortest possible time. The unlawful occupation of land, and the narrow interests of some will not enable us to progress and to improve the lives of our beneficiaries. We work according to the applicable legislation to ensure there is fairness and an organised approach to the allocation of housing opportunities given the great need.
‘Our housing projects remain under threat of unlawful occupation. Stealing land in this way steals opportunities from those who are registered and from beneficiaries who are in the process of receiving their affordable housing opportunity. Residents and communities are encouraged to support the City’s efforts to protect beneficiaries and community projects by alerting us to attempts to occupy land unlawfully,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.
The City will continue to deliver housing opportunities to qualifying beneficiaries across the metro, while at the same time preventing the unlawful occupation of land to prevent the loss of opportunities for those who have already been identified.