Work on the New Woodlands/ Kosovo Farm 964 housing project is well under way.
New Woodlands Ratepayers’ Association chairman, Shahiem van Nelson, told the Plainsman on Monday January 31 that they’ve started painting the new houses in New Woodlands.
The site of the project was visited by Western Cape MEC of Human Settlements, Tertuis Simmers, who was hosting Minister of Human Setllements Mmamoloko Kubayi and Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete during their two-day visit to the province.
“We had a very exciting meeting when they visited the site. We should be finished with this project soon. Everything has been working like clockwork,” said Mr Van Nelson.
The Department for Human Settlements office has been on site to check whether those who have applied for a houses are still eligible for it, he said.
Neighbourhood watch members and security guards have been guarding the area to make sure it is safe. They have not had high volumes of crime with this project.
There have been reports of gang intimidation at the bulk engineering site to which additional security and the assistance of SAPS was required, said Mr Simmers.
Day two of the minister’s visit on Wednesday January 19 started with a visit to Masiphumelele, the N2 Gateway in Langa, Boystown in Crossroads as well as the New Woodlands/ Kosovo Farm 964 housing project.
The entire development, which consists of various phases, has a combined Human Settlement Development Grant (HSDG) and Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG) funding of R 293. 7 million, (Farm 694 housing development makes progress, “Plainsman, August 25, 2021”).
Phase 1 of the development will see 434 Breaking New Ground (BNG) fully subsidised housing opportunities being created for beneficiaries. Fifty percent of the beneficiaries will come from the New Woodlands area, and 50% will come from the nearby greater Kosovo informal settlement, (“New Woodlands housing project launched”, Plainsman, May 1, 2019).
“The project is still in implementation (construction phase). Houses are still being built currently at various phases of construction. Internal engineering services are complete. Bulk engineering services are ongoing with bulk water lines complete and bulk sewer lines ongoing,” said Mr Simmers.
The Plainsman contacted the Kosovo leadership who did not respond in time of this article being published.
“I’m looking forward to returning to the development towards the end of the year, when the first group of beneficiaries will be moving in,” Mr Simmers said.
