Metro approves plan for 7 000 social housing units
A plan to build more than 7,000 social housing units in Nelson Mandela Bay received the green light from the municipality ’s human settlements committee yesterday.
Imizi Social Housing Institute, the company that built the Walmer Link and Fairview Link projects, said the new developments would unfold between 2020 and 2024.
The projects, worth R3.4- billion, are the Coega Vulindlela project, Parsons Vlei, Willow West, Fairview West, Mount Croix, Algoa Park, John Street in Uitenhage and Lower Baakens.
They would yield a combined 7,128 units.
Addressing the human settlements portfolio committee yesterday, Imizi director Simiso Thebe said it was all systems go for most of the projects.
“Imizi [has] future projects in the pipeline and we are very excited about them,” she said.
“We are expecting to start with the John Street project in the next two months and we expect to start soon with the Coega Vulindlela project.”
However, the Mount Croix project had been delayed by a lapsed environmental impact assessment.
“This project started in 2007 and we have had obstacles along the way – we will have to go through the whole process again.
“We were expecting 268 social housing units there.”
The Fairview West and Willowdene projects would be implemented in phases due to bulk water constraints.
The Fairview West project was also on track after the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements gave Imizi 62 hectares of land west of Willowdene.Thebe said the project had hit some snags with advertising costs and asked that the city consider lowering those costs.
Imizi chief executive Tony Lloyd said the projects were, however, hit hard by high property tariffs, among other problems.
“We pray that the comprehensive municipal housing policy will be addressed and that tariffs our tenants [can afford] are considered.
“Our tenants’ incomes range from R3,500 to R15,000; our rent ranges from R600 a month to R3,300 – our maximum.
“Out of that we have to finance these tariffs.
“Some of the tariffs are simply unaffordable,” he said.
Lloyd said the sewerage tariff was also an issue.
"Human settlements portfolio head Nqaba Bhanga said the projects would be supported, as they were strategic.
“The John Street project is specifically for VW employees.
“I am very concerned about Mount Croix, but [I] assure you that [it will take place].
“Mount Croix residents need to understand that times have changed. “We want these projects,” Bhanga said.
ANC councillor Nomsa Booi said the John Street project would be most beneficial.
DA councillor Duncan Monks urged Imizi to consider social housing developments in the Central area.
“Perhaps we need to look at using the dilapidated buildings in Central for social housing because we would be bringing people closer to jobs,” he said.
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