The City of Tshwane has started with the construction of a Chantelle Social Housing Project targeting residents in the missing middle.
Executive Mayor Randall Williams and MMC for Human Settlements Abel Tau officiated the sod-turning ceremony of the R131 million project expected to bring 600 mixed-use units in its first phase, and complement the City’s efforts to create environments that are conducive for businesses to create jobs.
Williams said the project is aimed at residents who do not qualify for government-sponsored housing, but also don’t earn enough to qualify for home loans.
“The target group was Tshwane residents who did not qualify for government-sponsored housing nor earn enough to qualify for home loans, earning between R1 500 and R15 000 per month. This is what is referred to as the missing middle group,” William said.
The City of Tshwane is facing increasing demand for housing that is close and within the 30-kilometer radius of economic nodes and opportunities.
Williams said the City was also working with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to address the backlog on the National Housing Needs Register, which is currently at 210 000 for Tshwane.
“In addressing this, the most viable approach adopted by the department is offering a combination of services to existing settlements while also investing in new development and social housing projects to accommodate a large percentage of the growing housing demand.”
Chantelle is the second largest social housing project in South Africa.
