The multimillion-rand townlands social housing project in Marabastad will benefit low-income earners who will be able to have homes closer to economic opportunities.
This was expressed by Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi on Thursday during the official launch of the project which was first unveiled by former City of Tshwane mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in February 2016.
Kubayi interacted with tenants who were happy that the place was affordable and closer to their workplaces and social amenities such as shopping malls and sports facilities.
One of the tenants who moved in on Wednesday was Irene Chale, who is a student and a part-time employee.
She said: “I feel happy because I will be able to have my own space and have a space where I can raise my son. For me it is all about the affordability of the place. I will be able to continue with my studies and do my work. I pay R950 per month.”
Kubayi said the social housing programme was aimed, in part, to give people the opportunity to stay closer to workplaces and social amenities.
She said the programme was used as one of the ways to address issues of informal and backyard dwellings.
While she was happy that the place provided a secured environment because of fencing, she suggested that the government should install biometrics access control to upgrade security at the entrance.
“We don’t allow people to bring people who are not registered into this site,” she said.
She said the facility was meant to cater for a certain number of people and that visitors could not stay for longer than three days.
“We don’t allow sub-tenanting,” she added.
Kubayi appealed to tenants to pay their rentals on time, adding that some projects had collapsed due to the problem of rental collection.
“We want to make sure that people who come here are people who are earning a salary. We brought the rates down because we subsidise you as a government.
“We don’t want to find the place dilapidated after 10 years,” she said.
The development consists of 1 200 mixed housing units and offers accommodation to qualifying residents who fall between income brackets of between R11 301 and R22 000 per month.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, employed or self-employed, be able to pay monthly rent and must be South African citizens.
The social housing project was initially envisaged to be completed in September 2019, but this deadline was missed.
Housing Company Tshwane chairperson Portia Tau-Sekati said the project was fraught with challenges, which included completing it with little resources.
She said unprecedented challenges posed by Covid-19 had also affected the project.
The National Department of Human Settlements bankrolled the project through its Social Housing Regulatory Authority and the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements through the Gauteng Partnership Fund.