News / Local
BCC to release 2 131 housing stands
17 Jul 2013 at 15:58hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council will next month release 2 131 housing stands in four suburbs as it moves to ease the housing backlog which is now more than 100 000 units. Responding to written questions yesterday, the local authority's senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said council would allocate stands in Luveve 5, Magwegwe North, Mahatshula and Emhlangeni.
She said only residents on the housing waiting list would benefit from the allocation.
"In Luveve 5, we are releasing 875 stands, 546 in Magwegwe North, a total of 169 stands in Mahatshula and 541 at Emhlangeni," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the size of stands in the western areas was a minimum of 200 square metres while those in Mahatshula would start from 600 square metres and the ones in Emhlangeni would be at least 800 square metres.
Mrs Mpofu said the cost of the stands was still being worked out and members of the public would be advised as soon as council came up with the figures.
Normally, the local authority requires residents to pay 35 percent of the price of the stand as deposit.
A further 35 percent would be paid in equal installments within the first six months with the remaining 30 percent spread over a year, thus bringing the total payment period to 18 months.
Council has availed more than 15 000 housing stands to residents in the last 11 years but the number of people on the waiting list keeps increasing.
Former Mayor, Mr Thaba Moyo is on record saying council needs more than $60 million to effectively address the challenge of shortage of houses in the city.
Mr Moyo said then that council was having problems with private developers allocated land to construct houses.
He said between 2002 and 2009, council allocated 13 865 stands including those at Hlalani Kuhle to private developers but many of the developers were failing to complete the work forcing the local to engage its own contractors to complete outstanding projects.
About 85 percent of people on Bulawayo's housing waiting lists can only afford low cost houses while only 15 percent can afford houses meant for the medium to high income earners.
The issue of housing is a national problem with the country's backlog estimated to be more than two million houses.
President Mugabe last month launched the revised National Housing Policy in Harare meant to accelerate housing provision especially in major cities and towns such as Bulawayo and Harare.
President Mugabe said Government was considering self-contained human settlements at the periphery of major urban centres as a means of decongesting the cities.
She said only residents on the housing waiting list would benefit from the allocation.
"In Luveve 5, we are releasing 875 stands, 546 in Magwegwe North, a total of 169 stands in Mahatshula and 541 at Emhlangeni," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the size of stands in the western areas was a minimum of 200 square metres while those in Mahatshula would start from 600 square metres and the ones in Emhlangeni would be at least 800 square metres.
Mrs Mpofu said the cost of the stands was still being worked out and members of the public would be advised as soon as council came up with the figures.
Normally, the local authority requires residents to pay 35 percent of the price of the stand as deposit.
A further 35 percent would be paid in equal installments within the first six months with the remaining 30 percent spread over a year, thus bringing the total payment period to 18 months.
Council has availed more than 15 000 housing stands to residents in the last 11 years but the number of people on the waiting list keeps increasing.
Former Mayor, Mr Thaba Moyo is on record saying council needs more than $60 million to effectively address the challenge of shortage of houses in the city.
Mr Moyo said then that council was having problems with private developers allocated land to construct houses.
He said between 2002 and 2009, council allocated 13 865 stands including those at Hlalani Kuhle to private developers but many of the developers were failing to complete the work forcing the local to engage its own contractors to complete outstanding projects.
About 85 percent of people on Bulawayo's housing waiting lists can only afford low cost houses while only 15 percent can afford houses meant for the medium to high income earners.
The issue of housing is a national problem with the country's backlog estimated to be more than two million houses.
President Mugabe last month launched the revised National Housing Policy in Harare meant to accelerate housing provision especially in major cities and towns such as Bulawayo and Harare.
President Mugabe said Government was considering self-contained human settlements at the periphery of major urban centres as a means of decongesting the cities.
Source - Chronicle
