Simelane says more than 2.3 million households need housing assistance - IOL
The national housing backlog currently stands at more than 2.3 million, according to Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane.
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has confirmed that the national housing backlog currently stands at more than 2.3 million units.
Responding to EFF MP Tebogo Mokwele, Simelane said housing demand was dynamic and continued to evolve under the influence of a range of factors such as population growth, urbanisation, household formation and migration patterns.
“The National Housing Needs Register (NHNR) currently reflects that more than 2.3 million households have registered for housing assistance,” she said.
Simelane said while the figure showed the scale of housing need nationally, it should not be viewed solely as a measure of government performance, as demand continued to grow due to demographic and socio-economic pressures.
“At the same time, the human settlements sector has had to operate within a constrained fiscal environment, with budget reductions affecting the pace at which housing opportunities can be delivered.
“Consequently, provinces and municipalities are compelled to balance increasing demand against finite financial and implementation capacity.”
Mokwele had asked whether the national housing backlog has increased despite her department receiving over R30 billion in budget allocation annually and measures implemented to reduce the backlog in the current year.
Simelane said the principal factors contributing to the housing backlog and housing need included rapid urbanisation and population growth, the continued expansion of informal settlements and limited availability of suitably located and serviced land.
Other factors were the bulk infrastructure constraints, rising construction and development costs, historical project delays, and capacity constraints within some implementing institutions.
“Land acquisition and servicing of sites remain particularly critical, as housing development cannot proceed without suitable land being identified, acquired, planned, approved, and provided with the requisite bulk and connector infrastructure."
She also said despite the challenges, the government continued to implement a range of interventions aimed at reducing housing needs and expanding access to sustainable human settlements.
The minister said reducing the housing backlog was a long-term undertaking that cannot be achieved within a single financial year.
“The department's interventions are therefore implemented and monitored over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and aligned to the Medium-Term Development Plan. During the current MTEF period, the department will continue to increase the delivery of housing opportunities through a combination of subsidised housing units, serviced sites, informal settlement upgrading and affordable housing interventions."
Simelane also said the annual performance targets were incorporated into the department's annual performance plan and monitored quarterly and annually.
“Progress is reported through oversight and accountability mechanisms, including the tabling of an annual report in Parliament.”
She said her department remained committed to progressively reducing housing need through a sustainable, fiscally responsible, and integrated human settlements approach that balanced growing demand with available resources and implementation capacity.
Simelane insisted that housing needs should not be viewed as a fixed number that can be eliminated solely through increased budget allocations.
“Housing demand continuously evolves due to population growth, urbanisation, migration to economic centres and the formation of new households. Consequently, while the government continues to deliver housing opportunities annually, additional housing demand is generated each year."
