The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi, conducted a site visit at the City’s Ondine Court affordable housing rental units in Manenberg, to check on the maintenance, repairs and upgrades being carried out. In April 2021, the City’s Public Housing Department started its new maintenance and repair initiative, where small and medium-size contractors will do work on CRUs across the metro.

Today, 26 August 2021, Councillor Booi, officials from the City’s Public Housing Department and representatives from the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) visited the City’s Ondine Court Community Residential Units (CRU) in Manenberg to check on the maintenance and upgrades being done. Earlier this year, the City’s Public Housing Department embarked on their new R150 million initiative over the next three years, which will enhance necessary and important maintenance, and empower small and medium-size contractors by providing work opportunities to them.

R1 billion in maintenance and upgrades over the last two years

‘The small and medium contractors are making steady progress at a number of the City’s affordable housing projects across the metro. At this particular housing project, the contractors made tremendous progress thus far, and we look forward to seeing the completed work at the end of the programme in June 2023.

‘The contractors are first primarily focussing on units which have suffered fire damage. The contractors are completing the repairs to 216 fire-damaged units. The units had been damaged due to petrol bomb attacks, stoves being left on and unattended by tenants, and illegal electrical connections, among others.

‘We thank the City’s teams and contractors for the work they have carried out thus far. This R150 million City rental repair project will improve the lives and living conditions of many residents and we will continue to do our best to deliver the required upgrades and repairs as quickly as humanly possible,’ said Councillor Booi.

Partnerships

This project is a partnership between the City and the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC). Due to the vast number of affordable rental stock units the City has, low levels of rental income collected for maintenance work and limited resources, there are repairs and maintenance service request backlogs.

Source: City Of Cape Town