Bongani Nkosi
HOUSING - Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has insisted that the government has a plan to provide better housing for hostel dwellers.
EFF MP Anthony Matumba sent written questions to Kubayi enquiring about plans to relocate people living in hostels to decent residential areas.
Matumba contextualised in his question that the relocation needed to happen “in order to restore their dignity and discontinue the legacy of apartheid which placed black persons in crowded inhumane environments”.
Kubayi said her department has a plan in place.
“The department has a programme called the Community Residential Units (CRU) which provides grant funding to provinces and municipalities for the upgrading, conversion, or complete redevelopment of existing government owned rental stock, including hostels.
“It is a 100% subsidy funded programme that targets low income persons and households earning below R3 500 per month who are unable to access existing formal private rental options.”
Kubayi said no single sex units were being built under the programme.
Hostels were mostly built as units accommodating men who left their rural homes to work in urban areas.
“The CRU programme provides family oriented accommodation typologies which usually comprises of separate bedrooms and living areas as opposed to previous hostels which were designed with the intention of housing single sex migrant labourers.The programme is available to all provinces and municipalities with hostels that are publicly owned.” Kubayi said
@BonganiNkosi87