East London workers struggling to secure affordable accommodation or home loans could soon have another option as Buffalo City Metro has partnered with international and local stakeholders in a new housing project.
The partnership with stakeholders from the Netherlands and the Eastern Cape-based Camdeboo Municipality recently received the blessing of the new BCM council.
Acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana had recommended that council approve the agreement between BCM, Camdeboo, the Vereeniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG) –International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities – and Dutch consulting company We Love The City in the “10000 Green Homes” project.
The agreement seeks to implement a social housing pilot project in the metro similar to one currently being implemented in Camdeboo.
It will see various rental housing units being built for low, middle and high income earners.
An area in BCM for the development still needs to be selected and it’s not yet clear how many units will be built or how big they will be.
Ncunyana said the metro was invited to take part in the programme as a result of its current twinning agreement with the Dutch city of Leiden.
“The upscaling is for areas close to the cities where minimal space is available for housing developments in order to address the influx of people wanting to be close to working opportunities.
“Further, it is to promote rental accommodation with lesser houses being built per square metre as compared to the current approach of only standalone housing developments,” Ncunyana said.
As a result of the programme, Camdeboo Municipality has established a business plan for a new Umnyama Park housing project that is currently being considered by the provincial human settlements department for funding.
Ncunyana said local beneficiaries would be made up of different income groups:
“Low income (less than R3500 income) for rental units, middle income (R3500 – R7000) for rental units and service plots and high income earners (R7000 – R15000) for rental units and service plots.”
“BCM will do a quick assessment of potential for rental housing in either Duncan Village or any other site that could improve overall housing delivery in BCM.
“A needs assessment will need to be undertaken in Buffalo City once the ward that will pilot the rental housing is selected.”
He said a concept proposal for the project will be done in BCM supported by twinning partners in order to get internal department commitment and “also communicate the results to the province in order to access the grant for rental housing”. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
BCM bid to make homes affordable
The partnership with stakeholders from the Netherlands and the Eastern Cape-based Camdeboo Municipality recently received the blessing of the new BCM council.
Acting city manager Nceba Ncunyana had recommended that council approve the agreement between BCM, Camdeboo, the Vereeniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG) –International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities – and Dutch consulting company We Love The City in the “10000 Green Homes” project.
The agreement seeks to implement a social housing pilot project in the metro similar to one currently being implemented in Camdeboo.
It will see various rental housing units being built for low, middle and high income earners.
An area in BCM for the development still needs to be selected and it’s not yet clear how many units will be built or how big they will be.
Ncunyana said the metro was invited to take part in the programme as a result of its current twinning agreement with the Dutch city of Leiden.
“The upscaling is for areas close to the cities where minimal space is available for housing developments in order to address the influx of people wanting to be close to working opportunities.
“Further, it is to promote rental accommodation with lesser houses being built per square metre as compared to the current approach of only standalone housing developments,” Ncunyana said.
As a result of the programme, Camdeboo Municipality has established a business plan for a new Umnyama Park housing project that is currently being considered by the provincial human settlements department for funding.
Ncunyana said local beneficiaries would be made up of different income groups:
“Low income (less than R3500 income) for rental units, middle income (R3500 – R7000) for rental units and service plots and high income earners (R7000 – R15000) for rental units and service plots.”
“BCM will do a quick assessment of potential for rental housing in either Duncan Village or any other site that could improve overall housing delivery in BCM.
“A needs assessment will need to be undertaken in Buffalo City once the ward that will pilot the rental housing is selected.”
He said a concept proposal for the project will be done in BCM supported by twinning partners in order to get internal department commitment and “also communicate the results to the province in order to access the grant for rental housing”. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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