Housing development to replace demolished Kaserne building

Joburg Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse says demolishing the Kaserne building is a major milestone in addressing the housing backlog in the City of Joburg.

There are currently close to 480,000 people on the waiting list for houses in the City of Joburg.

The four-second implosion of the historic building took place on Sunday morning and was attended by various members of the Joburg Mayoral Committee, Department of Housing officials, Joscho officials and leadership and various stakeholders.

“The Kaserne building was condemned by the court after it caught fire following an illegal electricity connection and sadly lives were lost,” said Phalatse.

The demolition of the Kaserne building is also expected to make way for the public-private partnership which can assist to fast track the pace of delivery of housing.

“This area will be a site for the development of mixed housing units such as RDP homes and rental houses. The residents of the nearby informal settlement will be prioritised during the development of the new housing units,” explained Phalatse.

This means the new development will cater for different income groups in an effort to cover the diverse housing needs in the City of Johannesburg.

An estimated one thousand five hundred units will be built in the area in an effort to address the housing backlog in the City of Joburg.

The area will be developed into a township with all amenities including a health facility and early childhood development centre.

Meanwhile, the city plans on electrifying the informal settlement nearby to mitigate against fires that previously occurred in the Kaserne building due to illegal connections.

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

NOW READ: It’s all systems go for Kaserne building demolition, avoid surrounding roads