Housing for the poor to be speeded up

The focus of the Department Housing for 2008 financial year will be slum eradication

The focus of the Department of Housing in the coming financial year will be its programme of slum eradication and the implementation of the lessons learnt from the Breaking New Ground Strategy to expedite delivery of housing for the poor and middle income groups.

Housing delivery will continue to be fast tracked with the objective of accommodating all those seeking homes within formally planned settlements by 2014, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said in a cluster briefing at Parliament today.

The Minister says to achieve this objective Government and its partners seek to increase the current delivery rate of 300,000. "Our target is the delivery of 500,000 housing units. To enhance and expedite the increased delivery, the Department of Housing has strengthened its capacity to directly assist provinces to enhance provincial project management capacity and streamline planning process for effective and faster delivery.

"In addition, the department will continue to focus on increasing the number of affordable housing for those who earn between R3,500 - R7,500 through the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Banks. The department is also finalising processes to ensure access to housing for Veterans of the struggle against apartheid within the overall comprehensive social security programme of Government. Work with Social Contract partners to remove all the obstacles and blockages that inhibit the speedy delivery of human settlements will continue.

"We are hoping that the NCOP will shortly debate and pass into legislation the Social Housing Act (SHA). With the implementation of the SHA, we will be subsidising the creation of various forms of rental accommodation and thus contribute to our goal of the elimination of slums by 2014. Non-governmental organizations and the private sector will be encouraged to participate in the programme and access the grants that will become available through this act. We are hoping that this will go a long way to alleviate the shortage of rental accommodation and encourage innovation in the rental market."

Every home energy efficient
Tshabalala-Msimang said: "Every new home in the country will become energy efficient. In addition to the prescripts in the National Housing Code and the Cabinet statement on this matter, the department of housing is finalising energy regulations that will become part of the national building regulations." The National Homebuilders Registration Council (NHBRC) will continue to the minimum standards set by government and will have the authority to stop any contractor who does confirm.

As part of its programme to access well located land, the department has finalised its negotiations with Transnet and Department of Public Works to acquire a significant portion of land for human settlements. The moratorium on the sale of land by municipalities will ensure an additional supply of parcels of well located land. This land will be transferred to the Housing Development Agency. In terms of the department's parliamentary programme, this year will see the introduction of the Housing Development Agency Bill (HDA).

The Agency will enable government to finally redress apartheid spatial planning. The key instrument of the agency will be the release of well-located land and serviced sites for human settlement programmes. Once the bill is signed, Thubelisha Homes and Servcon will be integrated into the HDA. We are expecting the HDA to serve as a catalyst for social cohesion, racial integration, job creation, and economic growth.

The briefing, delivered by Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the Minister of Health on behalf of the Social Sector Cluster.

- SABC