GEORGE NEWS - In 2022, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) announced an integrated social housing programme for the district, identifying a number of land pockets as priority housing development areas.
In George various properties were identified as possibly suited to such development, which would be high density, mixed use, mixed income, and mixed tenure.
Responding to a recent query regarding progress made with the programme, GRDM senior communicator Marlene Nqumse said the municipality has applied for specific state properties and land parcels for social housing opportunities that can be supplied sustainably over the long term and at scale.
However, it is awaiting formal confirmation by the government's Housing Development Agency (HDA) that procedurally handles such land applications.
She said, though, that the GRDM primarily focuses on its own municipal land for undertaking planned social housing projects, when they are regarded as viable.
The municipality has identified two of its properties in George (Omega Street, erf 26823) and Mossel Bay which are in the process of being conceptualised.
The concept is being developed by the municipality's social housing partner, Own Haven Housing Association.
"Upon the feasibility and planning processes being finalised, further announcements will be made to the public in due course," said Nqumse.
At the time of the announcement two years ago, George Municipality (GM) aired concern over properties identified in George for the GRDM housing programme. GM was adamant that it remained the final decision-maker regarding all land development applications within its jurisdiction and that sound planning principles and policy in its Municipal Spatial Development Framework should be maintained.
To this, Nqumse said the HDA "is the government conduit for such applications in terms of the acquisition of state property assets to leverage these when acquired for social housing purposes and not the George Municipality".
Nqumse explained that social housing is an affordable rental option for households earning between R1 850 and R22 000 per month. The development and management of social housing is undertaken by accredited social housing institutions.
In addition to the property in Omega Street, the land pockets in George identified by GRDM for social housing were the 'hospital land' in Davidson Road (erven 6231, 6236, 658 and 659 located opposite the hospital), various erven in Plantation Road (the open land between Arum and Barrie roads that comprises erven 152-157), and the land opposite the regional police headquarters (erven 140-143 that used to be the parade grounds for the former SA Army Women's College.)
At the time the GRDM said the demand for housing in the Garden Route was 66 329 and it was projected that by 2050, it will have mushroomed to an estimated 215 631.
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