The Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements has spent an amount of R1550 151 billion rand (86%) building subsidised houses, rectifying defective houses and building Multi-Purpose Community Centres in previously disadvantaged areas of the Province. This figure is for building of new projects and rectification of defective houses.
The building costs include installation of services such as water, sanitation, relocations and assessment of defective houses and building of the top structures.
The new houses have ceilings, plasterings of both internal and external walls and installation of standard basic electrical installation comprising a pre-paid meter with a distribution board and lights and plugs to all living areas of the house on completion. For rural houses, water harvesting tanks and latrines are provided to ensure equity in provision of public services. All new projects have been enrolled with NHBRC to inspect quality of the houses before houses are handed over to beneficiaries.
The total cost of a housing unit increased from R64 000 to R110 947, 00 in April last year depending on areas and a maximum of R164 000 rands in rural areas.
So far 8521 housing units have been completed across the province for people earning less than R3500.01 rands or have no income at all. A total of 2284 defective houses have also been rectified to repair houses of poor people which were shoddily built between 1994 and 2004.
A total of 12 979 houses will be built during this financial year ending in March this year across the province. Beneficiaries of these houses includes disabled, elderly women, child headed and military veterans. The work was done in line with the policy speech priorities for 2014/15 financial year with a budget of R 2 159 218 conditional grant was allocated to the department.
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha
Cell: 071 6711770
