Cape Town backyarders urged to

South Africa – Cape Town – 26 February 2019 – Informal settlements, backyard dwellers and communicare tenants marched to parliament demanding decent housing. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency(ANA)

Cape Town backyarders urged to register on housing database

An increase in urbanisation is the leading factor in Cape Town’s housing crisis.

Cape Town backyarders urged to

South Africa – Cape Town – 26 February 2019 – Informal settlements, backyard dwellers and communicare tenants marched to parliament demanding decent housing. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency(ANA)

With only one in three registered on the city of Cape Town’s housing database, the city has encouraged more people in this sector to register.

The city said in a statement on Wednesday that almost 70% of informal backyarders in the metro would not be eligible for a housing opportunity because they were not registered for subsidised housing. 

Rapid urbanisation blamed for Cape Town housing crisis

The city says increased urbanisation across South Africa over the past decade has resulted in a steady growth of backyard dwellings on publicly- and privately-owned land. 

“The great need for affordable housing and services in and near urban centres especially means that we must ensure that we work in a planned, systematic and fair manner. 

“It is really important for backyard dwellers to apply to register on the housing database. Backyarders who are not registered on the database cannot be considered for housing opportunities created for them by the city and Western Cape Government. “

The city said that all qualifying beneficiaries and especially backyard dwellers should ensure that they were registered and that their details were correct and up to date.

“We also continue to focus on enhanced service delivery especially to backyarders residing on council-owned properties. Cape Town was the first city in South Africa to introduce basic services to backyarders residing on Council-owned properties. 

“The backyarder programme started in 2014 and entails the provision of one-to-one water, refuse and electricity services to backyarders residing on Council-owned property, such as rental units. 

“The Municipal Finance Management Act determines that public money may not be used for enhancing private properties. Therefore, much work still needs to be done to see how backyarder services will be rolled out to those residing on private properties within the framework of the law.

How to register on the housing database

The city said that urbanisation was a challenge that all tiers of government, as well as the private sector and civil society organisations should deal with.

We “must work together and ensure that we are ahead of the curve with our plans to address rapid urbanisation. We must bring our communities on board with the alternatives on offer”, the city’s member of the mayoral committee for human settlements, councillor Malusi Booi, said.

He also explained that the service was free and that there was no payment for registration.

Applicants can register on the housing database online, at city housing offices, MyEstate mobile offices that comes to various areas and at the Parow or Wale Street walk-in centres.

Applicants need a certified copy of their IDs and their spouses’ IDs, a completed housing assistance form, copies of their children’s birth certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, details of special needs where applicable, as well as supporting documents such as medical records and proof of address (FICA).

By African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay