Pretoria- The Eastern Cape housing department has introduced a new rural housing voucher system. which will enable beneficiaries to claim housing subsidies to acquire building materials which they will use to build their own homes.
MEC for Human Settlements, Nombulelo Mabandla, said the voucher system is aimed at speeding up housing delivery in poor rural communities.The voucher programme will be piloted at the Umzimvubu and Intsika Yethu municipalities in April.
Human Settlements spokesperson, Lwandile Sicwetsha, said the department will revive the People's Housing Process (PHP) aimed at up-scaling rural housing development in the province with the implementation of 29 approved projects at a value of R696 million upon completion.
"The department is also planning to deliver 2114 units in both OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo district municipalities with a budget totaling R117 million this financial year.
This is part of the department's rural development plan to create integrated human settlements for poor people living in deep rural areas in the province," he said.
The department hopes to build 22 000 units in the 2010/2011 financial years, a move which will see 88 000 destitute people with roofs over their heads.
