The City of Cape Town’s new Human Settlements Strategy drives greater partnership-based and innovative accommodation options to address the growing demand for affordable housing opportunities for those earning below R22 000 per month. Social housing is a key pillar of the strategy to deliver more affordable social housing projects, located in well-located areas. Members of the City’s Human Settlements Portfolio Committee visited a number of the City and partner’s projects across the metro to check on progress as the City looks to scaling up the delivery of affordable accommodation types.
The tour took place across the metro, including to projects such as Bothasig Gardens in Bothasig, Anchorage in Glenhaven, Bellville, Belhar Gardens in Belhar and Steen Villa in Steenberg. These projects are part of the City and partners’ finalised and planned development of more than 2 000 affordable housing opportunities on well-located pieces of land in and near urban centres across the metro to enable greater spatial equality.
The current status of these projects are as follows:
- Bothasig Gardens: The first phase of the project has been completed and provided 120 social housing opportunities. Construction on the second phase of the project started in November 2019 and the project is expected to be completed this year and will provide social housing opportunities to 314 qualifying beneficiaries and their families.
- Glenhaven: The tenanting is expected to be completed by mid-2021, if all goes according to plan, and the first of its units were handed over toward the end of last year. Glenhaven is comprised of 512 social housing opportunities as well as 253 Gap rental housing units.
- Belhar Gardens: This project was completed in August 2017. The development boasts 629 social housing units, comprising of bachelor, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units.
- Steen Villa: This project is completed and is home to approximately 700 qualifying beneficiaries.
‘The City is committed to enabling affordable housing with its partners on suitable, well-located land across the metro. Our projects are easily accessible to a number of amenities including job opportunities, education institutions, healthcare facilities and public transport.
‘We will continue to protect our affordable social housing projects from unlawful occupation and to fight for the rights of our beneficiaries who are waiting for their housing opportunities. The City is mindful of the acute need for housing opportunities in all areas of the metro. We are making every effort to address the concerns of communities and to provide opportunities within a planned and fair manner wherever possible. Unlawful occupation jeopardises the housing delivery programme and hurts us all. Stealing opportunities in this manner, steals opportunities from qualifying beneficiaries who are in the process of receiving their affordable housing opportunity. Jumping the queue is not right or fair.
‘It takes hard work and dedication to see these projects through and we thank City staff and all our partners, as well as our communities and civic representatives, who are working with us to see the goal of a more spatially integrated city, with greater access to affordable housing, become a reality,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.
Facts about social housing:
- It is managed by accredited social housing institutions (SHIs).
- SHIs are solely dependent on rental income. They receive no operational grants. They are able to service their debt finance through rental income.
- As with any rental contract, tenants formally enter into lease agreements. The landlord is the SHI.
- If tenants do not adhere to their lease agreements, the responsible SHI will follow the necessary legal process. Tenants must therefore pay to stay as the rental money is used for the day-to-day operation and upkeep of the complex.
- The City has nothing to do with the day-to-day management of SHIs, the rental amount or evictions for not paying.
- Before potential beneficiaries can apply for social housing, they are required to register on the City’s Housing Needs Register.
- Projects are developed on well-located, accessible land in and near urban centres.
- It is not low-income subsidised government housing, such as Breaking New Ground (or the commonly called RDP housing and it is not City Council Rental Units).
- It is managed with 24-hour security and access control.
- The City may sell City-owned land at a discounted price for social housing developments to make projects economically viable.
- Social housing offers improved access to social facilities and other amenities.
- A single grant subsidy can benefit on average five households versus one household for Council rental units.
- Social housing adds value to vacant pieces of land.
- Social housing has the potential to improve property prices in an area.