George housing project nears completion
THE George municipality said it was well on its way to completing a fouryear long housing project in Thembalethu, east of George.
Construction is under way of the last 37 houses of the 700-unit project, which commenced in February 2017. Should weather and circumstances oblige, the completion date for the entire project is the end of May.
George Municipality human settlements director Charles Lubbe said phase 1 of the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) was near completion with the second-last batch of 50 homes transferred to owners towards the end of last year.
“This project has been life-changing for 700 new homeowners and the municipality is proud of its role in administering the process.”
The UISP is funded by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements with the George Municipality acting as implementation agent. The houses are situated in several wards across Thembalethu.
Residents waiting to be moved into their new homes were temporarily relocated to the last section of the project and once moved, building commenced on that section with the first five units already at roof height.
George Municipality senior communications officer Athane Scholtz said the Covid-19 pandemic had slowed the project down.
“Covid-19 did impact on the contractors who had to vacate premises during hard lockdown for about six weeks (end of March to beginning May). A shortage of materials as a result of trade restrictions delayed building further.”
Most completed units were currently occupied, said Scholtz.
A retention phase of three months applies in which defects can be reported and addressed. Afterwards, the home becomes the responsibility of the beneficiary, including maintenance and alterations.