New opportunities for housing subsidies, Capetonians encouraged to apply

It was previously required that the Western Cape Government administered FLISP applications be linked to a mortgage. Now, other sources of finance like an employer assisted housing scheme and an unsecured loan, among others, may be used to purchase a home. Applicants with a household income of between R3 501 and R22 000 can access this assistance where in the past, many could not qualify for FLISP due to not qualifying for a home loan or mortgage. Applicants applying for FLISP do not need to be on the City of Cape Town’s Housing Needs Register.

“It is important that residents begin to look at alternatives to the State-subsidised Breaking New Ground (BNG) housing option”, says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi. “This is especially important if we are to find ways to tackle the housing challenges, amid national budget cuts and greater demand for affordable accommodation due to the bad state of the national economy. The City cannot solve the housing challenge on its own. Sometimes residents are not eligible for BNG housing due to a number of reasons, such as having owned property before or having a household income that exceeds the threshold of R3 500 per month”.

“The change to the FLISP subsidy is a step toward increasing the affordable accommodation offering in Cape Town and making housing more inclusive to people who earn up to R22 000 per month. This is in line with our Human Settlements strategy that advocates for a more diverse, innovative, and partnership-driven approach to the delivery of more affordable housing options for residents”.

Before you can apply for a FLISP housing subsidy through the Western Cape Government, you need to meet the following standard, national criteria:

• You earn between R3 501 and R22 000.
• You are a South African citizen or permanent resident in South Africa.
• You are married or cohabiting.
• You are single with financial dependents.
• You are over the age of eighteen years old.
• You haven’t received a government housing subsidy before.
• You haven’t owned fixed residential property before.

The City of Cape Town offers five main housing opportunities. Each opportunity has specific qualifying criteria:

• BNG, formerly known as ‘RDP houses’
• GAP
• Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP)
• Community Residential Units (CRU)
• Social Housing

Applicants can register on the Housing Needs Register online, at their nearest City housing office, or at the City’s Parow walk-in centre or Cape Town Civic Centre.

Before you can apply for a housing subsidy through the City of Cape Town, you have to meet the standard, national criteria as well as the selection criteria:

• You must be over the age of eighteen years old.
• You cannot own any other property or have previously owned property.
• You must be married or living with a partner, or single with financial dependants (who are able to prove their dependency).
• If you are 60 years of age or older or if you are disabled, you may apply as a single person.
• You have to be a South African citizen, or you must have a permanent residence permit.
• You must be legally competent to sign a contract.
• You cannot apply if you receive a national government housing subsidy already or if you are married to someone who does.

Beneficiaries of City housing projects will be selected in accordance with the City’s Housing Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register to ensure housing opportunities are made available in a fair and transparent manner that prevents queue jumping and to those who qualify for housing as per the South African legislation.