Pretoria: Western Cape Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers has handed over 20 Breaking New Ground (BNG) housing units to beneficiaries of the R113 million Bergsig housing project in Calitzdorp.

According to South African Government News Agency, 564 families have now received the keys to their new homes and by the end of August, another 92 units will be handed over, pushing the total to 656 homes delivered through this flagship project. Calitzdorp has experienced rapid growth over recent years due to urbanisation, and the Bergsig housing project was launched to target backyard dwellers and farm workers, many of whom previously lived in remote rural areas with limited access to essential services. This development will bring these beneficiaries closer to amenities and economic opportunities, the MEC stated.

The MEC highlighted that this project was not without challenges. Due to inadequate beneficiary qualification, some units were left unoccupied and became targets of vandalism and theft. There were also delays in funding for the electrification of units. However, the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure (DOI) was able to accelerate the delivery of housing units by providing bridge funding for electrification in the amount of R4.8 million. The DOI also provided security on site to prevent crime and allocated an additional R1.8 million to repair units that had been vandalised.

The efforts to overcome these challenges were made possible by collaboration with private sector partners and the Kannaland Local Municipality. There is a significant need for housing in the Western Cape, and through cultivating strong partnerships with other spheres of government, the private sector, and the communities served, accelerated delivery of housing opportunities is being achieved like never before, Simmers concluded.