Residents from seven Cape Flats communities in Cape Town have had a meeting with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in Mitchell's Plein to discuss a solution to their five-year struggle to get their shoddy homes repaired.
The Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) offered residents low income rental housing from between R150 to R350 a month, that would be transferred into their names after five years.
But within months of moving in, huge flaws appeared in the houses. This forced some residents to fork out hundreds of rands more each month to fix up their homes.
One Newfields resident, who would not to be named, called the houses "disasters". He said he had had spent about R10 000 on repairs in the five years he had been living there.
Newfields Village Residents' Committee chairperson Gary Hartzenberg said: "When we moved in we found we had to pay high rentals of nearly R1 000 per month for severely damaged houses built on a wetland. The houses were totally cracked, with some walls collapsing just a few months after residents moved in."
Nadeemha Birth, 33, a Newfields resident who moved into her three-bedroomed house five years ago, said she was extremely angry about her house.
"The walls are cracked and when you bath the water goes into the other room."
The 2 000 low-cost houses were built by the City of Cape Town, the National Housing Financial Corporation and the CTCHC in 2000.
Residents of the Newfields Village, Eastridge and Woodridge in Mitchell's Plain, Hanover Park phase one and two, Luyoloville and Heideveld battled for five years with the CTCHC to have their homes declared dysfunctional.
Earlier in the year, residents approached the CTCHC with the results of an independent survey on their houses which showed they were in a bad way.
The NHBRC launched an independent audit last month in which the construction of the houses is being evaluated. The NHBRC and the CTCHC met residents on Wednesday.
"We have won the war, but what we want now is to be guided and for the process to be kept open," said Hartzenberg.
Judy Ferdenando, social facilitator for the CTCHC, said several earlier housing inspections had not been not in line with NHBRC standards.
"In the NHBRC audit, each house will be looked at," said Ferdenando. "I can't say how long the audit will take."
She said 15 to 20 houses were being evaluated daily. So far, the Heideveld, Hanover Park and Woodridge areas had been completed. - Cape Argus
The Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) offered residents low income rental housing from between R150 to R350 a month, that would be transferred into their names after five years.
But within months of moving in, huge flaws appeared in the houses. This forced some residents to fork out hundreds of rands more each month to fix up their homes.
| 'when you bath the water goes into the other room' |
Newfields Village Residents' Committee chairperson Gary Hartzenberg said: "When we moved in we found we had to pay high rentals of nearly R1 000 per month for severely damaged houses built on a wetland. The houses were totally cracked, with some walls collapsing just a few months after residents moved in."
Nadeemha Birth, 33, a Newfields resident who moved into her three-bedroomed house five years ago, said she was extremely angry about her house.
"The walls are cracked and when you bath the water goes into the other room."
The 2 000 low-cost houses were built by the City of Cape Town, the National Housing Financial Corporation and the CTCHC in 2000.
Residents of the Newfields Village, Eastridge and Woodridge in Mitchell's Plain, Hanover Park phase one and two, Luyoloville and Heideveld battled for five years with the CTCHC to have their homes declared dysfunctional.
Earlier in the year, residents approached the CTCHC with the results of an independent survey on their houses which showed they were in a bad way.
The NHBRC launched an independent audit last month in which the construction of the houses is being evaluated. The NHBRC and the CTCHC met residents on Wednesday.
"We have won the war, but what we want now is to be guided and for the process to be kept open," said Hartzenberg.
Judy Ferdenando, social facilitator for the CTCHC, said several earlier housing inspections had not been not in line with NHBRC standards.
"In the NHBRC audit, each house will be looked at," said Ferdenando. "I can't say how long the audit will take."
She said 15 to 20 houses were being evaluated daily. So far, the Heideveld, Hanover Park and Woodridge areas had been completed. - Cape Argus
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