Cape Town - Five families moved into their newly completed houses in Ocean View this week – the houses are part of a R46 million project.
The five houses signify the halfway mark of the development, which is being built for the Mount View informal settlement in Ocean View. In total, 543 houses are being built.
Celebrating the occasion, Mayco member for human settlements Benedicta van Minnen handed over five of the stonemasonry houses.
“Each time we are able to hand over one of these beautiful stonemasonry homes to residents who have patiently waited their turn, it is the most rewarding experience, because each home provides one more family an opportunity to enjoy a dignified quality of life and contributes to our efforts of redress in the city.”
Van Minnen said 275 of the 344 houses currently under construction had been handed over to date, while the first beneficiaries moved into their new homes in April last year, she said.
The remaining 199 houses are estimated to be completed by March next year, bringing the project’s total number of houses to 543 at a cost of R46 million, she added.
Van Minnen said the project is the first of its kind in the country because of its unique process and unusual solution of using Table Mountain sandstone excavated from the site to build the houses.
“The feedback we have received so far from beneficiaries has been very positive and all are more than happy with their new homes. The City looks forward to the completion of this project and will use the pioneering practices and initiatives implemented at Ocean View for other housing projects.”
Clarence Kenny, a beneficiary who received the keys to his house in November, said although he was grateful for the house, as he had never owned one, he felt unhappy about the lack of tiling in the kitchen and bathroom and lack of paint in the house’s interior. His house cost R84 000, he said.
The project was selected as a World Design Capital 2014 project and continues to create job opportunities for local residents, said Van Minnen.
She said the City’s human settlements directorate had trained 29 residents, including three women, in stonemasonry.
Cape Times