The developments in Region A, which included Ivory Park, Rabie Ridge and Diepsloot, were set to cost more than R1.1 billion.
“This will go a long way to reduce the housing backlog,” said the city council’s spokesperson Nthatise Modingoane.
“Housing numbers are always a moving target. Ideally the city would like to accommodate all the deserving and qualifying beneficiaries.”
About five years ago, there were about 180 informal settlements in Johannesburg, Modingoane said.
“These have been reduced and the department is in a process to verify the number [of informal settlements] after relocations and eradication of some of the informal settlements.”
MMC for Housing Dan Bovu said the expenditure was a demonstration of the city council’s commitment to accelerate the elimination of informal settlements and provide people in Johannesburg with decent housing.
The shortage of decent housing was one of the most pressing challenges confronting the city council, exacerbated by the continued influx of people from other provinces, Bovu said.
Project manager Irene Mokoena said a total of 2 919 RDP houses would be built in Ivory Park, Rabie Ridge/Commercia and Diepsloot during the current financial year in a bid to “wipe out” informal settlements in the region.
“Five construction companies have been appointed to deliver on the project,” said Mokoena.
Thus far, 500 units had been completed in Ivory Park and 420 in Rabie Ridge.
The construction was expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
“The construction of an RDP house in this case takes place on the site where the informal structure exists. In that way, the process takes place rather slowly,” Mokoena explained.
In Diepsloot’s Riversands View Ext 28, work is under way to lay infrastructure for a total of 2 000 units at a cost of R184 million.
Other RDP housing allocations included 80 units in Kanana Wards 4, 200 units in Commercia Ext 34, 369 in Kanana/Commercia Ward 110 and 450 in Ivory Park Wards 77, 78, 79.
According to Modingoane, those that made applications from 1996 to 1997 and special cases including orphans, senior citizens and the disabled were prioritised for the housing projects.
Further, informal settlements beneficiaries, who were currently residing at the location of the project, and informal settlements that were situated in unsafe areas such as under Eskom servitudes or on flood lines were also considered.
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