Siphelele Nketo
THE commencement of a housing project to build 100 rural homes in the Ntabankulu area of the Eastern Cape is expected to mitigate the housing backlog.
The Ntabankulu Local Municipality this week introduced the project to Ward 4 and Ward 8 villagers. The municipality in collaboration with the Department of Human Settlements will build 50 houses in Ward 4 and another 50 Ward 8.
The houses will be allocated to deserving beneficiaries, including child-headed households, people living with disabilities, destitute individuals and households that are unable to afford adequate housing.
According to the reports, the project has a total budget of R25 million and will be implemented over a two-year period.
An amount of R12.5 million has been allocated for the first year, with the remaining R12.5 million scheduled for the following financial year. Councillor Siyabonga Menziwa said that the municipality intends to address challenges related to coordination among sector departments.
“Through Inter-governmental Relations (IGR) platforms, sector departments are brought together to plan, align and implement integrated services that respond directly to community needs,” he said.
It has been stated that the houses will be built using a design and structure similar to those constructed in Ebomvini, featuring roof tiles and ceilings.
In line with improved and sustainable building standards, the houses will also be fitted with solar panels to assist households during periods of load shedding.
