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KZN housing projects put on hold

About 120 housing projects have been placed on hold as a result of the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) reprioritising almost R516 million for temporary housing for flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal.

According to a list provided by the DHS to the DA, housing projects funding will be reprioritised away from projects like the phase 2 top structure construction Kennedy Road Informal Settlement upgrade; Ntuzuma G (infill) phase 1; Umlazi (infill) part 4 phase 1 and Lamontville slum clearance.

A written parliamentary reply to the DA by MEC Jomo Sibiya further reveals that the department’s human settlements development grant has been cut by R367m under the following programmes:

•	R10 million from the financial interventions programme.
•	R114 million from the incremental interventions programme.
•	R39 million from the social and rental programme.
•	R201 million from the rural interventions programme.
•	The informal settlement upgrade partnership grant has also been reduced by R148m from the incremental interventions programme.

The DA KZN spokesperson on human settlements, Marlaine Nair, said the situation was the result of the national government’s failure to allocate additional funding for those who had been made homeless.

“It also comes as thousands of people continue to live in community halls across KZN, three months after the devastating rains took place. That KZN is being forced to reprioritise half a billion rand away from housing delivery – and deny the many people who have been waiting for years – is an indictment against this government,” Nair said.

Government officials are still providing temporary housing to the thousands of people left homeless by the floods. Nair said it was proceeding at a snail’s pace. She said the reality was that many people in KZN were desperate for housing.

“A caring government would understand KZN’s huge housing budgetary constraints and the enormity of the loss due to floods and adjust its own budget so that the needs of the people come first,” she said.

Nair was concerned that the delays in housing would lead to land grabs, an increase in informal settlements and deepen the severe housing crisis in KZN, where there is a backlog of 742 000 houses.

“The MEC is sitting on a powder keg. If he is serious about reducing this backlog, he must urgently engage with Treasury over the reprioritisation of funding from other provincial government departments to human settlements,” she said.

Nair said the reprioritisaton was only for the 2022/23 financial year.

Source: www.iol.co.za

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KZN housing projects put on hold

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