The City’s Human Settlements Housing Information branch, along with the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Carl Pophaim, engaged with the tenants of the nine properties as part of the ongoing land release process. Subsequently, officials helped to conduct an assessment of whether tenants may qualify to take ownership of the units in terms of housing law and policy. 

Based on information provided, the assessment has found that the occupants of all nine residences provisionally meet the criteria for subsidies to take ownership of the units. Occupants have agreed to submit these subsidy applications with the assistance of City officials. 

During the visit, the occupants were advised that the dwellings they reside in currently fall within the mandate of the Economic Growth Directorate but plans were afoot to transfer them to the Human Settlements Directorate. New lease agreements will be drawn up with the current occupants while they are assisted to navigate the state subsidy application process to take ownership of the dwellings. 

 

‘It has been my absolute privilege to spend time with these residents and to see how we can assist them within the applicable law and policy at our disposal. I take this very personally as a generational beneficiary of City home ownership transfer myself, and I am committed to seeing our residents become home owners. I am simply overjoyed that we are able to help in this case,’ said Councillor Pophaim.

  

The main subsidy qualification criteria and considerations include:

   

‘These properties were market-related rental properties, distinct from Council rental stock, and are no longer required for municipal purposes. These properties do not currently fall under the Human Settlements Directorate, but the view is to transfer them to the directorate, following the assessment of the occupants and consideration of the circumstances pertaining to the properties. This is a unique case, as the tenants all meet the required subsidy criteria and income threshold, and there is no further municipal use for the properties. 

  

‘My thanks go to our officials for their caring and thorough assessment to help occupants determine their eligibility for subsidies to take ownership of these units,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos. 

All due process is being followed, with oversight of the process to be provided by the Human Settlements: Allocations Oversight Committee.