Thembisa Shologu
The Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) has been allocated R5.767 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year.
During the presentation of her inaugural Budget Vote at the Legislature on Wednesday, MEC Tasneem Motara outlined the department’s priorities and funding allocations.
From the overall budget, R4.826 billion is earmarked for Conditional Grant Funding. This includes R3.8 billion for the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) and R9.27 million for the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant for Provinces.
“We will be focusing on bringing about improved implementation of the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) with a focus on basic services, social facilitation as well as the provision of socio-economic amenities.
“We want to provide amenities and infrastructure in informal settlements and will be upgrading our informal settlements in collaboration with national government, municipalities, and resident communities, in line with the District Development Model,” said MEC Motara.
As part of this initiative, the department will introduce alternative sanitation and energy solutions, including solar high mast lighting and microgrid systems. These solutions are designed to be energy-efficient and accessible to communities facing bulk infrastructure challenges, providing interim services or emergency relief where necessary.
The GDHS will also undertake a beneficiary data cleansing exercise, focusing on updating and verifying the Gauteng Housing Needs Register, which currently encompasses approximately 1.2 million individuals. This process is crucial to ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the department’s database.
“To ensure the accuracy and reliability of this database, a thorough process of data cleansing, updating, and verification is imperative,” said Motara adding that the the housing allocation of 1996-1999 applicants, persons with disability, child-headed households, and military veterans remains the GDHS’s priority including the elimination of the title deeds backlog.
The department also plans to revitalize Central Business Districts (CBDs) across the Gauteng City Region, with a specific focus on increasing affordable housing availability.
“We want to increase the provision of affordable housing within our CBDs and in line with this we will be actively pursuing innovative and transformative partnerships in order to provide affordable lending for the owners of properties in our CBDs through our social housing programme,” she said.
In addition, the department will invest in developing the township real estate market through the GPF’s Kasi-4-Real Programme and will accelerate the Ikageleng Rapid Land Release Programme. Efforts will also be intensified in combating unlawful occupation of government-owned land and buildings.
Moreover, the GDHS will launch a civic education campaign to inform beneficiaries about subsidised and partially funding.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
