Some of the tenants for 330 rental units, which have been released in the first phase of the 1000-unit Goodwood Station Social Housing Project, received their keys at a ceremony on Saturday.
Construction started in October last year and the remaining units are scheduled for completion in March next year.
The project is a partnership between the national and provincial departments of human settlements, the City of Cape Town, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), DCI Community Housing Services (the social housing institution undertaking the development), the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), and the Infrastructure Fund, among others.
The City has provided grant funding, land for parking, and various rates discounts and other incentives to enable the financial and operational viability of the R575 million development.
Social housing offers rental units for families with a combined monthly income of between R1 500 and R22 000.
Speaking at the event on Saturday, mayoral committee member for human settlements Carl Pophaim said: “This is a well-located, integrated housing development that is redressing apartheid spatial planning and giving hope to people who if we did not do this, would never have the opportunity to live in this community.”
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said he was pleased to have met the first families moving into the development.
“One little girl, the daughter of a beneficiary, proudly pointed out her own bedroom, the first time she has ever had a bedroom,” he said. “Many more tenants will be moving in before Christmas.”
Cecilia Mentoor, 53, who is originally from Bishop Lavis and will be moving into a one-bedroom unit with her son, said she had been thrilled to get confirmation in October last year after having applied seven months earlier.
“It is going to be a pleasure for me to stay here,” she said.
Infrastructure MEC Tertius Simmers said: “Opportunities in this province and the city are abundant if we work together. This is a clear indication of progress which can be made when the spheres of government together with the entities in the private sector work together.”
Annette Lindeque, the CEO of Prasa’s property division, said: “There are many of these properties which we have offered to the market so we will be seeing a lot of these social housing projects coming up. There is a few here in Cape Town, not only for housing but we also have student accommodation which I think is very critical especially here in the Western Cape.”
