A further 500 Johannesburg families will move into their new homes in November 2015 as the multibillion rand Lufhereng housing development, the biggest integrated housing development initiative undertaken by the City of Johannesburg (COJ) to address the housing shortage in the city – is fast gathering momentum.

It is hoped and planned that an additional 700 families will be settled in Lufhereng, west of Soweto, in June next year, according to Project Manager Charles Davis.

More than 1800 families are already living in Lufhereng Proper and Lufhereng Ext 1, which has been serviced and completed by COJ and Gauteng Department of Human Settlement’s.

Davis says this development forms part of the City of Johannesburg’s R690-million planned capital expenditure, spread over three years to 2017 for bulk infrastructure – including roads, storm water drainage systems, including the building of a second storm water attenuation pond, bulk sewer and bulk water services resulting in the ultimate delivery of fully serviced stands.

“Now that the extended contracting process has been finalised and performance-based contracts have been signed with a turnkey developer – the Lufhereng Development Company – the City expects to see an accelerated rate of housing delivery.

“One of the key performance areas for the contractor is to delivery about 1 000 houses a year. That will definitely go a long way towards whittling down the housing waiting list and releasing residents from paying rent for backrooms and put an end to cramped living conditions,” says Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing Councillor Dan Bovu.

The 2 080ha development, initiated in 2008 by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Johannesburg to address the housing backlog in greater Soweto, will comprise of ±22 500 mixed housing units and consist of between 12 to 18 extensions by the time it is completed, which is estimate to be 2023.

–Joburg.org.za