Housing issues highlighted in Sydenham

SOME of the people living in Howell Road, Sydenham, were incorrectly classified as having benefited from a government housing subsidy.

This was revealed by the Human Settlements MEC, Ravi Pillay, while addressing his portfolio committee yesterday.

He was addressing issues of evictions in Howell Road, where it is estimated that more than 60 families had been evicted. Some families are living on the street outside their former homes.

Pillay stated that landlord First Metro had received subsidies, including funding from overseas donors.

“When the Howell Road project was initially implemented, the provincial government subsidy contribution was recorded, on the human settlements computer system, as an individual subsidy to the tenant instead of as an institutional subsidy.

“This was subsequently corrected and the tenants are now eligible for any other qualifying programme,” he said.

Pillay said the residents and the landlord have been at loggerheads for years and he has had to intervene several times before they were finally evicted.

He said there was an ongoing process to profile those affected as some people are not indigent.

He added that the government would look at assisting those who were really in need.

Pillay said the Howell Road residents had an obligation to pay their rent and the government cannot undermine the rental pay system.

He said they were also working with Abahlali base-Mjondolo to resolve some of the issues around land invasion and evictions.

“At the court hearing on the September 1, 2017, the court directed that the Department and Abahlali meet to develop a framework for application of agreed principles,” he said.

He said on Friday, September 8, they met and had fruitful discussions.

“We are working towards a possible MOU (memorandum of understanding). It is recognised that the issues are complex.”