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Beneficiaries of 1200-unit Townlands Social Housing launched in Tshwane this week were urged to pay their rental timeously and help maintain the long-term sustainability of such projects to avoid their collapse.

Other than Townlands, which has now been completed, three other projects are in the pipeline to deliver over 2000 units in the city and their success depends partly on beneficiaries also meeting their rental obligations.

Speaking at the launch in Marabastad on Wednesday, Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, said social housing was a valuable intervention to deal with informal settlements, back yarding and people staying in unsafe inner-city building as they provide affordable and decent rental options.

“We are creating opportunities for people to stay in safe government-subsidised rental housing closer to work, school, transport nodes and other social amenities as we address the unjust legacy of apartheid spatial planning”, said Minister Kubayi.

“Our interactions with approved tenants at Townlands and similar developments across the country are indicative of a trend whereby we find beneficiaries or tenants who would have formerly stayed in an informal settlement and transitioned to a formal area, others lived in the inner-city and were subjected to paying a lot of money in unsafe environments, others were paying money for accommodation to sometimes people who don’t even own these buildings.”

Townlands Social Housing offers low-cost rental accommodation to qualifying residents of Tshwane, who fall in the income band of R1 850 to R22 000 per month. This affordable housing development will enable the residents to live near the city centre to have access to economic opportunities, thus redressing the housing backlog in the city. The Social Housing Regulatory Agency (SHRA), an entity of the Department of Human Settlements, partnered with Housing Company Tshwane (HCT) in the development of this social housing project. There are currently about 6000 applications received from potential tenants.
 
Amongst the beneficiaries was Lebogang Tlhabane, a queer community beneficiary born in Pretoria who expressed how the development of Townlands has brought a sense of safety.

“I am an orphan, and I don’t have a home, so I had to move around a lot …survival on the streets was a challenge because my safety as a trans-gender woman was compromised and I am happy Townlands is my new home and I will be able to spend Christmas this year with my baby brother and friends around me,” said a beaming Thlabane.

A biometrics system will be integrated into the property in addition to the current security measures to also address the issue sub-tenanting by approved beneficiaries, where people bring people who aren’t registered into the property.

“People want to feel safe and the biometrics upgrading will ensure safer communities and in line with our freedom charter prescripts that there shall be houses, security and comfort, “said Minister Kubayi.

Deputy Minister Tshwete was encouraged by the fact that the project was championed by women contractors who were present at the launch, as women have overtime been vocal about being given opportunities as main contractors instead of being subcontracted.

“Today, we see them here and this should be celebrated,” she said. In the last financial year, the Department of Human Settlements spent R3.1billion as part of 40% set aside for women-owned companies contracted to build and help government to resolve the housing backlog.

Meanwhile, MEC Maile highlighted that the democratic government had done significant work since 1994 in providing shelter for vulnerable people, adding that the Townlands launch was also true testament to that.

“We are sitting with no less than 1.3 million houses built in Gauteng since 1994. Today we have about 2 million people in the national housing register and 1.2 million of those are in the economic hub of Gauteng, where the population has doubled in search of economic opportunities,” he said.

Ward 58 Councillor in Tshwane, Conride Ngoveni, expressed appreciation for the work done, saying “today government has proven it can deliver”.

MMC Madzabatela said he was looking forward to the roll out of more projects by Team Human Settlements to deal with apartheid spatial planning that kept people away from economic opportunities.

To apply for Townlands Social Housing Project visit Housing Company Tshwane, 310 Pretorius Street Pretoria or call 012 358 4469 for more information.
Minister Kubayi thanked the three spheres of government for working together with beneficiaries, contractors, and community leaders to be able to deliver this beautiful project.
 
“Our focus will also be on an exit strategy for the tenants as we don’t want them to remain tenants forever.”

On Tuesday, the Minister and MEC Maile handed over 48 houses at Helderwyk Extension 8, an Integrated Development Programme (IRDP), consisting of 412 walk- up BNG units in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. They also issued title deeds to Tsakane township residents, as a guarantee to landownership to deserving beneficiaries. Residents were cautioned not to sell their homes but rather give them back to the government for a handover to another beneficiary.

The issuance of title deeds and newly built homes is in line with Government’s plans to fast track the process of providing decent accommodation for the citizens and to restore the dignity of home owners by providing security of tenure.

Issued by Department of Human Settlements