POLOKO TAU
It is where people live, work, play – and it is the future.
They are integrated sustainable human settlements – and they have come to Soweto.
Integrated sustainable human settlements are mixed developments where RDP housing units are built alongside rental units or bought ones.
“These developments not only provide shelter but also provide socio-economic facilities. These are settlements where people can work, play and grow and are the way to go,” says City of Joburg housing spokeswoman Bubu Xuba.
“There is a lot of interest in them as they provide affordable rental and houses for the gap market. Our rental properties are always fully occupied.”
Xuba cited projects such as Pennyville’s mixed housing development close to New Canada train station as well as similar developments in Lufhereng and Fleurhof. They are “our most successful developments”, she said.
The Pennyville project yielded 2 800 housing units, from which 1 600 were allocated as RDPs while 200 are social housing units and the other 200 are rental rooms.
“The rental for the rooms ranges from R280 to R564 a month and family units range from R741 to R1 685. The different rental charge is due to the fact that this development caters for a whole range of people with different incomes and needs,” Xuba said.
The remaining 800 units were intended for the gap market – those who earn too much to qualify for an RDP house and too little to qualify for a home loan.
Lufhereng has been described as the “largest integrated mixed housing development in Gauteng” built under the auspices of the Human Settlement Department’s Breaking New Ground policy.
“Upon completion, Lufhereng will yield 24 000 units and have schools, clinics, community centres and venues for businesses. Of the units, 6 000 will be rental units, 6 000 bonded units and 12 000 RDP units,” Xuba said.
“The projected timeline for the availability of these units is in 2013.”
In one completed project, the Johannesburg Social Housing Company was managing Kliptown Flats, which have 478 units for rental, ranging from R1 088 to R3 500, depending on the size of the unit.
In April, former Joburg mayor Amos Masondo launched the Fleurhof housing development, which will yield 6 000 units, with 2 000 intended for the gap market and another 2 000 for RDP beneficiaries.
Xuba said the remaining 2 000 would be up for rent of between “R750 for a bachelor unit for those earning less than R3 500 a month, while two-bedroom units are projected at R1 950 a month for those earning less than R7 500”.
“When this development is complete it will have preschools, clinics, community centres, venues for business and industrial areas,” Xuba said.
She said more rental units were intended on the Orlando Ekhaya precinct near the defunct power station.
The Soweto Bureau for Sustainable Settlement (Sobuse) said it had compiled a housing waiting list with more than 76 000 people hoping to get RDP houses in Soweto alone.
Sobuse has since urged the Department of Human Settlements to consider allocating serviced stands to people who can afford to build their own houses.