Once an apartheid dump, now model housing development hub

Once regarded as a human dumping ground of apartheid’s social engineering, Mitchells Plain is booming with housing developments, thanks to two affordable housing projects aimed at different sectors of the first-time home buyers’ market.

Standing outside his new home in Morgen’s Village III in Mitchells Plain, proud first-time homeowner Ismail Cassiem surveys his neatly planted patch of ground outside his brand-new house. “I use every spare moment to work in my garden,” says Cassiem, who for many years has dreamt of owning his own property.

Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato recently visited the new housing development to witness the joy of residents moving into their first homes.

The 341 houses of the Morgen’s Village III development are solidly built, providing a quality product and a sound financial investment.

“We’re happy with the progress of the project and especially with the quality of the building work at Morgen’s Village III,” said Fungai Mudimu, chief executive officer of the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC), which has developed the site.

Priced between R169 000 and R179 000 including VAT, the houses are for those who earn between R3 000 and R3 500 per month before deductions and qualify for the government’s institutional housing subsidy, which ranges between R92 000 and R99 500.

Buying a home is made possible through this subsidy, plus a top-up amount which is repaid through an Instalment Sale Agreement over a 20-year period.

In addition to developing land for affordable housing and selling units to first-time homeowners, CTCHC clients are offered the opportunity to attend consumer workshops to empower them in their roles as new homeowners. A series of three workshops is provided to explain the many different aspects of home ownership, from understanding the repayment systems to selecting a site, household maintenance and applying for municipal services, among other things.

On another rung of the Mitchells Plain property ladder is West Cape, a new “gap” housing estate within walking distance of the Westgate Mall. Also developed by the CTCHC, it is hoped that construction work will start in mid-June 2010 and the entire project will be completed by the end of July 2011.

Show houses are to be completed by mid-August for potential buyers to view.

The 341 new homes, a combination of free-standing and semi-detached double-storey units, will be built on a site on the corner of Weltevreden and Morgenster roads in Mitchells Plain.

Priced from between R339 000 and R500 000 including VAT, these houses will be financed through personal bonds with financial institutions.

According to Doreen van Wyk, CTCHC’s client relations manager, the new houses, all of which are fully bondable homes, can be bought off plan.

All West Cape units are 52 square metres and will have two bedrooms, a tiled and fitted bathroom and a semi-fitted open-plan kitchen. All internal and external walls will be plastered and painted and all ground-floor windows will have burglar bars.

“On the heels of the fine turnout of the Morgen’s Village III development, West Cape provides first-time home buyers within a higher income bracket excellent value for money,” said Mudimu.

“Since our building practices have been refined and upgraded in our previous developments, we’re confident that these homes will be welcomed by the market.”

There are plans to landscape the area around the houses with indigenous planting.

The development will significantly uplift the neighbouring areas, providing a knock-on effect of improved property values in the wider Mitchells Plain area.

Since its formation in 1999, the CTCHC has delivered close to 4 000 affordable homes, providing housing for more than 10 000 people in Cape Town communities.

It is an accredited social housing institution and one of the three social housing partners of the City of Cape Town.

“Our biggest challenge is to acquire suitable land,” said Mudimu.

“We’re committed to building communities through our construction of affordable housing in integrated human settlements. Our mandate is to acquire, develop or sell property within the affordable housing market.

“These projects prove that the partnership with the City and province in providing housing development is working well,” he added.

Article supplied by the Cape Town Community Housing Company