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17 March 2022 Media Release: The GRDM Proudly Prepares Itself as a Provider of Sustainable Housing Opportunities

Media Release:  The GRDM Proudly Prepares Itself as a Provider of Sustainable Housing Opportunities

For Immediate Release
17 March 2022

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has now positioned itself to be a provider of affordable housing. This is in addition to the support role that it plays to the seven local municipalities, namely, Bitou, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Hessequa, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland.The GRDM has developed a Human Settlements Strategy, which will guide the development.

Four staff members have, to date, been appointed at the GRDM Human Settlements Division, with funding from the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WC DoHS).  The most recent appointments were that of a Town Planner who will assist with Spatial Planning, Town Planning Authorities and Project Feasibilities and an Administration Officer who will concentrate on the Demand Data Base and Subsidy Administration.

In the near future GRDM will make announcements about the Affordable housing opportunities:

  1. Social Rental Housing – for households whose monthly income is between R1501 and R15 000
  2. Student accommodation
  3. Finance Linked Individual Projects (FLISP) – This is an ownership program targeting potential beneficiaries whose monthly income is between R3501 and R22 000
  4. Inclusionary Housing – This is a new ownership concept that encourages partnerships between the GRDM and various private developers, employers, etc.

 Milestones achieved during the 2021/22 Financial year 

  • Formulated an Integrated Human Settlements (IHS) Strategic Plan;
  • Established an organisational structure for the newly established Human Settlements Division;
  • Prepared a draft Municipal Accreditation Business Plan, which awaits final approval by both the Provincial and National Departments of Human Settlements;
  • Worked with the seven B-municipalities to ensure a coordinated and structured approach in dealing with the District Development Model;
  • Appointed a Social Housing partner, Own Haven, to develop Social Housing; and
  • Appointed an external consultant team to assist with the formal production of a Human Settlements Sector Plan  which will show the program for the various projects.

More significantly, the GRDM Human Settlement Department has begun to align its functions with the Garden Route’s local municipalities in an attempt to meet the requirements of co-planning, co-budgeting and co– implementation.

Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) 

GRDM Human Settlements, in conjunction with Cape Peninsula University of Technology, are hosting two interns namely Messrs. Lubabalo Ketani and Loyolo Ndima.

Alignment to the District Development Model (DDM)/Joint Metro Development Approach (JMDA)

 GRDM has been identified as one of the District Councils in South Africa where the District Development Model will be piloted.

The DDM approach will strengthen cooperation between the following stakeholders:

  • GRDM
  • Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Bitou, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland
  • WC DoHS
  • National Department of Human Settlements (N DoHS)
  • Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA)
  • Housing Development Agency (HDA)
  • SHRA Accredited Social Housing partners
  • Private developers

These relationships will enable the GRDM to plan, package, and implement projects in a coordinated manner.

Stakeholder involvement  

Two weeks ago, the GRDM placed an invitation on all their media platforms, inviting interested members of the public to register on an affordable housing demand database. The housing demand database will assist Council with defining the extent to which it rolls out Affordable Housing.

A standard questionnaire, for those interested in Affordable Housing, is still available at the following locations:

  1. The Garden Route Corporate Website at: www.gardenroute.co.za
  2. At all local Human Settlements (Housing) offices of the seven B-municipalities in the district.
  3. All the GRDM sub-offices in the region.

For any related enquiries, please direct them to the GRDM Human Settlements office representatives, namely Ms. Shehaam Sims, Mr. Luyolo Ndima or Mr. Lubabalo Nicholas Ketani at telephone 044 803 1454.

You have three options to obtain and submit the questionnaire.  

  1. Obtain and submit it at a Local Municipality
  2. Obtain and submit it at any of the Garden Route District Municipality offices in the region
  3. E-mail a scanned copy of the forms to info@gardenroute.gov.za