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IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
How grants are addressing the housing crisis in KwaZulu-Natal's informal settlements
The rapid urbanisation and migration to urban centres have exacerbated the housing backlog in KwaZulu-Natal. Image: Tracey Adams / Independent Newspapers The rapid urbanisation and migration to urban centres have exacerbated the housing backlog, and this surge has outpaced housing solutions in KwaZulu-Natal. A report on the implementation of the informal settlement upgrading programme within KZN was presented by the Department of Human Settlements to the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on Friday. The department stated in its report that many residents are unable to access formal housing due to economic constraints and limited availability, and resort to establishing informal dwellings. This surge has outpaced the provincial government's capacity to provide adequate housing solutions, leading to a substantial backlog in formal housing provision. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The department stated that, as outlined in the National Housing Code, projects are implemented through a four-phase approach. They are: Phase 1. Application: Municipalities apply to provincial Human Settlements departments for funding for informal settlement upgrading, submitting interim business plans with their applications. Phase 2. Project Initiation: A ctivities like acquiring land, understanding the settlement's demographics, installing interim services, conducting pre-planning studies, and developing a business plan. Phase 3. Project Implementation: The actual construction of infrastructure and housing, focusing on enhancing serviced sites and providing necessary facilities. Phase 4. Consolidation: I nvolves further development and improvement of the upgraded settlement, potentially including housing consolidation and community development. The department stated that the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG) was introduced as a window within the HSDG in the 2019/20 financial year. The window was intended to serve as a planning and preparation platform before it was established as a standalone grant in the 2021/22 financial year. The ISUPG specifically targets the upgrading of informal settlements to increase investment in in-situ upgrading. It emphasises building partnerships with communities to develop and execute informal settlement upgrading strategies. The funds are to be used to identify informal settlements in need of upgrading, provide households with security of tenure, and deliver municipal engineering services. The department has made substantial progress in upgrading informal settlements, with a total of 103 plans completed across the province. It added that plans are intended to assist it in ascertaining cost estimates for infrastructure provisions that are pivotal in upgrading informal settlements. Therefore, these plans serve as a roadmap for upgrading informal settlements within the province. "The upgrading plans further provide categorisation of informal settlements, which is necessary as it guides upgrading and intervention required. These categories guide the approach to providing basic services, ensuring security of tenure, and potentially relocating residents."
Zawya
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Committee on Human Settlements Successfully Started Its Two-Day Oversight Visit in Garden Route District Municipality
The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements kick -started its two-day oversight visit to the municipalities in the Garden Route District Municipality in Knysna yesterday where it received briefings on the implementation of the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG), Informal Settlements and Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG). The committee expressed its displeasure with the absence of the MEC for Human Settlements and the Head of the department who failed to communicate their apologies in advance. The committee also received briefings from the Western Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements, Knysna Local Municipality, George Local Municipality, and Mossel Bay Local Municipality on the implementation of the human settlements' strategic plans, projects and programmes. The committee expressed its disappointment to learn that a total budget of about R300 million, which was allocated to the municipalities during the 2024/25 financial year, had to be given to other provinces due to poor performance of the municipalities and R100 million of that amount was initially budgeted for HSDG. The Deputy Director-General of the National Department of Human Settlements, Dr Nana Mhlongo told the committee that the allocation of the budget to other provinces was due to the department's due diligence in terms of monitoring performance within the province. The HSDG is a key funding mechanism for human settlements development, while ISUPG focuses on upgrading of informal settlements. These programmes are being implemented by the Garden Route District Municipality, and they include the development of new housing units, infrastructure upgrades, and the formalisation of informal settlements. Also, part of these programmes is the Integrated Human Settlements Strategic Plan that has been developed by the Garden Route District Municipality which incorporates George, Mossel Bay, and Knysna local municipalities. This plan aims to guide the coordinated development of human settlements, and to ensure alignment with national, provincial strategic goals and performance plans. Outlining the purpose of the visit, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Mr Mammoga Seabi, highlighted the committee's role regarding oversight over any executive organ of state that falls within its portfolio. He said: 'This is in line with the mandate of the committee to undertake provincial oversight visits to evaluate progress made in the service delivery and to identify challenges.' The Chairperson said the committee undertook this oversight due to the need for the improvement of institutional capacity at the local municipal level and the lack of strong instruments for implementation in the district municipality. 'These issues hinder service delivery, economic development, and overall community well-being,' he said. The committee heard that the Garden Route District Municipality faces challenges that include limited funding and implementation of non-human settlements related mandate in informal settlements upgrading, bulk infrastructure capacity constraints prevalence in most municipalities, municipal capacity challenges, lengthy statutory approval processes, lack of clear and coherent understanding, and response from stakeholders involved in upgrading process. The committee conducted site visits to the Knysna Bungalos, temporal relocation site and the houses built for the Knysna Bungalo beneficiaries. The committee was unhappy with the appalling state of the temporary structures and requested the municipality, provincial and national departments of human settlements to review the project and provide a report to the committee in 30 days. The committee will today conduct site visit in Mossel Bay as follows: Site visits in Mossel Bay from 09:00 to 13:00 to Sinethemba Project, Breaking New Ground Project (New Rest), Mountain View First Home Finance Project, and Izinyoka Informal Settlements. Site visits in George from 14:00 to 16:00 to projects: Moeggehuur Informal Settlements (Houtkapperjie), Syferfornein Project (ERF 325), Rosedale Informal Settlements, Metro Grounds and George Collapsed Building. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
