Low-income earners will now be accommodated in the Social Housing Programme.

The programme, which was recently adjusted to be more inclusive, was approved by human settlements minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, and provincial members of the department’s executive council.

This adjustment comes after the launch of one of the country’s biggest social housing projects, the Westgate Social Housing Project in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The project was launched in April this year by President Jacob Zuma.

The department said adjustments to the new programme included a shift in income bands which raised lower qualifying household income limits for the primary market from R3,500 to R5,500 per month. Upper qualifying household income limits were also increased from R7,500 to R15,000 per month.

The council also approved an increase in the Restructuring Capital Grant from R125,615 per unit to R155,000 per unit, as well as consolidation of the Community Residential Unit/Hostel with social housing.

Sisulu said the adjustments ensure that the social housing programme continues its focus on including the primary target market in well-located projects so the poor are integrated into cities.

“These adjustments also ensure that more young professionals or the gap market will now benefit from government rental subsidised housing, and for developers, it means they have more funds to provide spacious and decent rental stock,” Sisulu said.

She added that due to inflation over the years, the social housing programme was no longer able to grow, and that with these adjustments, the production of units will grow resulting in “increased performance by the sector”.

The adjustments will also help bring in the required revenue from families in the gap market, while continuing to accommodate families on the lower end of the income ladder.

“We will continue to work hard in ensuring that we reach out to all our housing beneficiaries particularly, the low income earners and the gap market by providing housing opportunities close to transport, places of work and economic activities,” Sisulu said.