The R3 billion Conradie Park project in Pinelands will provide more than 3000 social-housing flats close to the city.
The project is a joint venture between the City, Province and Own Haven Housing Association, a non-profit company that works with Concor Developments.
Mayoral committee member for human settlements Malusi Booi, Own Haven and City officials visited the project last Thursday to check on its progress.
According to Mr Booi, the project’s first phase will be ready for tenants to move in by December. It comprises 432 walk-up flats – a mix of one- and two-bedroom units.
Construction should start on the second phase – 659 one- and two-bedroom flats – by March next year, he said.
The completed project will boast 3600 one- and two-bedroom flats. Most of these will be rentals, but included in the mix will be 530 one- and two-bedroom flats for first-time homeowners qualifying for a subsidy.
The first phase is made up of four four-storey blocks, with duplex units on the top floors of two of the blocks, said Own Haven managing director Andrew Wiseman
“Full access control will be achieved using facial-recognition technology, and the buildings will be monitored via a centralised CCTV system linked to the security office that will be manned 24 hours.”
This development will include a school, a shopping centre and shops on the ground floors of several of the blocks.
Own Haven, as the social-housing Institution, is responsible for implementing and managing the project, according to Nathan Adriaanse, a spokesman for the provincial Department of Human Settlements.
Those hoping to live in the development will, among other criteria, need to hold South African citizenship or permanent residency, be 18 or older and have a gross household income of between R1 500 and R15 000, according to the provincial government.
“Own Haven, as the Social Housing Institution for this project, will attend to marketing and the allocation of units to qualifying beneficiaries,” said Mr Adriaanse.
Being in Pinelands meant the social housing project was close to amenities and economic activities, he said.
