MEC Helen Sauls- August hands over title deeds to govt subsidy houses beneficiaries in Lady Frere, 24 Mar

Hundreds of govt subsidy houses beneficiaries to receive title deeds in Lady Frere

Over a hundred of government subsidy housing beneficiaries in the rural town of Lady Frere will receive title deeds from the Provincial Department of Human Settlements MEC Helen Sauls- August on Friday, 24 March 2017.

Between April last year and March this year, a total of 8 249 title deeds were issued to beneficiaries across the Province with a budget of R8 million rands.  In the new financial year starting in April this year, an amount of 10 million rands has been set aside to lodge and transfer 10 000 title deeds to correct homeowners.

The title deeds were issued to home owners in BCM, NMBM, Emalahleni, Kouga, Senqu, Nkonkobe, Nxuba, Ndlambe, Great Kei, Inxuba Yethemba and Mnqanduli municipalities.

The department is prioritizing the issuing of title deeds so that beneficiaries can legally own their properties. The title deeds deeds backlog for post 1994 is currently estimated to be at 77 000.

The Title Deeds Programmes is delayed by other factors such as illegal occupation of completed houses by other people or unclaimed houses by beneficiaries. As part of this programme, extensive verification and confirmation of beneficiaries before the title deeds are issued is undertaken to make sure that title deeds are issued to the rightful homeowners.

This legal document (title) will also prevent illegal sales of government subsidy, robbing people of their homes. Many beneficiaries have lost their homes due to the unavailability of title deed that confirms home ownership. Title deed can also be used as collateral in economic activities.

The department has appointed 26 conveyancers  last November to commence with the lodgement of transfers for the ultimate issuing of title deeds for post 1994. Each conveyancer is given a batch of 800 units to transfer.  Besides these appointments, the department has been working with municipalities to collect and record title deeds.

There is a gradual increase in the number of households living in formal dwellings over time from 65.1% in 1996 to 79.2% in 2016. The percentage of households living in traditional dwellings has also declined sharply from 18.3% in 1996 to 7% in 2016. The Eastern Cape Province distribution of households whose main dwelling is a government subsidized dwelling increased to 386 802 in 2016.

Those living in informal dwellings have decreased slightly from 16.2% in 1996 to 13% in 2016, according to a community survey done by Statistics South Africa in 2016.

The handover of title deeds will be held as follows:
Date: 24 March 2017
Venue: Cacadu Town Hall, Lady Frere
Time: 10h00

NB: Transport is available for local journalists needing to attend the event.

Enquiries:
Lwandile  Sicwetsha( Mr)
Director: Corporate Communications
Tel: +27 (0) 43 711 9679
E-mail: lwandiles@ecdhs.gov.za

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