R37,8 m to transfer homes to tenants; enable affordable housing in R7,6 bn City human settlements budget
30 March 2023
The City’s proposed R7,6 billion human settlements
budget for the next three years focuses on public housing upgrades, affordable
housing in well-located areas, a drive to transfer City rental units to tenants
and the upgrading of informal settlements. Coming on the back of a 97% budget
spend in the previous financial year, the City’s Human Settlements Directorate
will focus on doing more with less and exploring all avenues that will drive
human settlement programmes as catalysts for meaningful economic growth in
communities.
'I am excited about this budget: We are building hope in our communities through our projects and programmes. I've asked our dedicated project teams to think afresh, innovate, reinvigorate and explore economic opportunities that can be unlocked in our communities through our human settlements programme. The future of affordable housing provision is the State enabling the private sector, and that this is what our fully-funded land release for affordable housing priority programme aims to achieve, also by assisting micro-developers to upgrade informal areas.
'The Cape Town difference is that we are spending our budgets and I am personally looking at where improvements can be made. More than 97% of the human settlements budget was spent in the last financial year, despite the great challenges that our teams are faced with on the ground, including criminality and unlawful occupations and the ever-diminishing grant funding received from the National Government.
'I am especially pleased about the R12 million allocation for the Mayoral Priority Programme initiative of transferring ownership at no cost to our eligible beneficiaries in Council rental units, delayed transfer properties and historic serviced sites in the 2023/24 financial year. We have allocated R37,8 million for these "no-cost transfers" over the next three years, involving some 22 000 beneficiaries.
'There is also an allocation of R72 million for alternative building technology over the next three years and some R717 million for social housing, breaking new ground and incremental development projects in the new financial year.
'Informal settlements and backyarder upgrades amount to R270 million while some R341 million is allocated to public housing upgrades in 2023/24. We look forward to building Cape Town, Together,' said the City's Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Alderman James Vos.
Highlights: Projects under way in 2023/24 include:
- R341 million: Public Housing Upgrades and Maintenance
- R717 million: Breaking New Ground, social housing and incremental development projects
- R19 million: Backyarder service enhancement
- R251 million: Informal settlements upgrading projects
- R15 million for enhanced security at projects
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
