By Nozipho Dlamini

Habitat for Humanity and African Bank have answered the Housing Minister’s call for business and the private sector to assist in dealing with the housing backlog in the country by providing formal housing for South Africans.

The two organisations have made a commitment to assist the department in providing houses to South Africans.

Together with the department, the two organisations have embarked on a project to build 12 houses in 5 days (1st phase) with a target of building a total of 24 houses in a period of 10 days (2nd phase) in Protea South, Soweto.

The first phase starts today and will end on Friday, when 12 families will be handed keys to their houses.

It was at the Housing Indaba held in Cape Town last month, where Minister Sisulu highlighted key issues that government faced in providing formal housing and better living conditions for South Africans.

Sisulu stated that she was mindful of the bottlenecks that existed within government, but on the other hand, she also urged the rest of society including the private sector, to join government in a national effort to help better the living conditions of the poor.

The housing department will subsidise the beneficiaries of the houses.

Source: BuaNews