Residents of the government’s flagship N2 Gateway housing project in Langa have called for the state to offer a “rent to buy” option because their monthly rental payments offer no security of tenure and full home ownership.
Residents committee vice-chairperson Andile Nkosi said that “nothing would make our souls be more at peace after we die than leaving our children with a property”.
Nkosi complained that the city branch of Thubelisha Homes, a national Housing Department-linked company appointed to manage the project, “do not take us seriously”.
He said most of the tenants of the 705-apartment complex, especially the older ones, felt insecure about renting because “they feel it will take them nowhere”.
“Matters like ‘rent to buy’ and the quality of the flats should be raised with the city, or the provincial and national departments of housing,” said Nkosi.
The departments could not be reached for comment.
Thubelisha Homes client co-ordinator Thulani Zulu said that by February next year, all units would be occupied.
He said other planned N2 Gateway projects would be in Langa, Delft, New Rest in Gugulethu and Crossroads, but he could not say when building would start.
Nkosi said the lease agreement restricted tenants from even the smallest home basics like painting, laying tiles or putting up pictures…
Nkosi also said residents were concerned about a spate of thefts, apparently because keys were able to open the doors of more than one unit. He said there were 47 keys for the 705 flats at the complex and “it’s clear that the recent spate of thefts of people’s goods was due to this”.
Key blocks - a small lock-within-a-lock for added security - were also virtually interchangeable.
Zulu denied the existence of similar key and key blocks, but when the Cape Argus tested a key block, one flat’s key block opened the one next door. - Cape Argus
Residents committee vice-chairperson Andile Nkosi said that “nothing would make our souls be more at peace after we die than leaving our children with a property”.
Nkosi complained that the city branch of Thubelisha Homes, a national Housing Department-linked company appointed to manage the project, “do not take us seriously”.
He said most of the tenants of the 705-apartment complex, especially the older ones, felt insecure about renting because “they feel it will take them nowhere”.
“Matters like ‘rent to buy’ and the quality of the flats should be raised with the city, or the provincial and national departments of housing,” said Nkosi.
The departments could not be reached for comment.
Thubelisha Homes client co-ordinator Thulani Zulu said that by February next year, all units would be occupied.
He said other planned N2 Gateway projects would be in Langa, Delft, New Rest in Gugulethu and Crossroads, but he could not say when building would start.
Nkosi said the lease agreement restricted tenants from even the smallest home basics like painting, laying tiles or putting up pictures…
Nkosi also said residents were concerned about a spate of thefts, apparently because keys were able to open the doors of more than one unit. He said there were 47 keys for the 705 flats at the complex and “it’s clear that the recent spate of thefts of people’s goods was due to this”.
Key blocks - a small lock-within-a-lock for added security - were also virtually interchangeable.
Zulu denied the existence of similar key and key blocks, but when the Cape Argus tested a key block, one flat’s key block opened the one next door. - Cape Argus
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