POLITICAL NEWS - A parliamentary reply revealed that since 2010, under the leadership of the DA, the provincial Department of Human Settlements, serviced 80 000 housing sites across the Western Cape.
This excludes all housing developments and social housing initiatives undertaken by the provincial department which focuses on using innovative and affordable methods to addressing the housing crisis that is facing South Africa.
By allocating more than R4 billion to servicing sites, which includes the supply of water and electricity, and laying of bulk infrastructure, the Western Cape Government has once again showed its commitment to bring housing opportunities to our residents as bulk infrastructure remains the costly part of any development.
MPP Matlhodi Maseko says: “Serviced sites is one of the key avenues to ensure the development of affordable and well located housing opportunities to the people of the Western Cape.
In the metro, more than 26 000 serviced sites have been delivered while the Winelands District and Eden District saw the development of 16 000 and 15 000 sites respectively.
The provincial Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning is currently finalising the first ever Inclusionary Housing Policy Framework for any provincial government in the country where the Provincial Department of Human Settlements also provided input.
This policy framework alongside the development of service sites in the Western Cape accelerates the delivery of housing opportunities for deserving beneficiaries.
We know that to address the housing crisis in South Africa, all stakeholders will need to partner together including all spheres of government as well as the private sector and NGOs. Initiatives such the Inclusionary Housing Policy Framework as well as the Western Cape Asset Finance Reserve, which will empower local municipalities and unlock further funding opportunities, are game changes for the Western Cape. This Reserve is the first and only of its kind in the country.
This week the Standing Committee on Human Settlements will engage the provincial Department on this Reserve Fund and the ways in which this will support local municipalities across the province to deliver housing opportunities for our residents. As the budgets for human settlements continues to shrink year on year, finding ways to accelerate dignified housing opportunities for residents must remain a top priority for all governments.”
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