Housing in Southern Africa October 2015

News

R170 million for Voortrekker Road

T his forms part of the City’s fo- cused efforts to rejuvenate this important area and to unlock opportunities. The Integrated Cities Development Grant will be used to unlock employment opportunities and educational facilities for those living within the Voortrekker Road Corridor (VRC). This also includes affordable, well located housing for nurses, teachers and government employees. Other projects include R15million for theWater and SanitationNorthern Region Sludge Facility, R36million for the Plattekloof Substation, R11,5mil- lion for the Integrated Rapid Trans- port Control Centre, R25 million for the Bellville Wastewater Treatment Works Facility and R5,9 million for T he City of Cape Town has budgeted approx ima te l y R35 million in the current financial year (2015/16) to assist thousands of tenants who reside in city-owned properties and earn less than R3 200 per month. The tenants of city rental and mortgage loan schemes have already applied for indigent grants. “When arrears are written off, ten- ants enter intopayment arrangements with the City. They pay back onlywhat they can afford,” says City’s Mayoral CommitteeMember for HumanSettle- ments, Benedicta van Minnen. “The culture of payment is there-

The City of Cape Town has allocated R170 million in the current financial year for infrastructure projects in the Voortrekker Road Corridor.

the urban infrastructure in this area and to attract the large scale private sector investment that is required. The country’s low growth rate and high unemployment rate means that local authorities must step up to design and to direct a more sustain- able economic vision for residents,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Johan van der Merwe. The grant aims to assist cities to become more efficient, equitable and sustainable. To qualify for this funding, cities are required to identify integration zones in which the funds will be spent. The Metro South-East and the VRC have been identified and nominated in Cape Town. The City has devised a Strategy and Investment Plan, which will undergo continual reviews and updates, to prioritise and direct this funding grant. “We believe that stra- tegic public spending will encourage further development and investment from the private sector. It is not the role of government to attempt to manipulate market forces, or to as- sume the position of the labour force within the free market; instead it is to create policy and service delivery which encourages partnerships. We are actively canvasing private sec- tor support as part of our Strategy and Investment Plan,” said van der Merwe. ■

the Belhar/Pentech housing scheme. The Integrated City Development Grant provides the eight metropoli- tan municipalities with incentives to improve spatial development con- siderations in their planning and job creation. These embedded infrastruc- ture projects will be well supported. In addition, the Greater Tygerberg Partnership is key in facilitating rela- tionships between small andmedium businesses and the public sector. “Together with our partners, we are doing everythingwe can to create an enabling environment to revitalise fore encouraged and at the same time, the City is ensuring that some revenue is received which is then used for themaintenance of its rental stock,” says van Minnen. TheCity of Cape Town is the largest landlord in South Africa andmanages approximately 43 000 rental apart- ments andmore than19 000 sectional schemeunits. Whileproviding accom- modation for thousands of residents the city also has a responsibility to maintain and upgrade rental stock. “We rely on rental collections and we know that instilling a culture of pay- ment will ensure a sustainable future for all residents,’ said van Minnen. ■

Financial help for tenants

October 2015