Human Settlement

Breaking New Ground [BNG] Housing is Aimed to Eradicate Informal Settlements

The new human settlements plan reinforces the vision of the Department of Housing, to promote the achievement of a non-racial, integrated society through the development of sustainable human settlements and quality housing.

The Breaking New Ground [BNG]) strategy aims to promote an integrated society by developing sustainable human settlements and quality housing within a subsidy system for different income groups.  The new housing units are medium rise, four-storey building for RDP, rental and/ or buying through bank loans. There will no longer be freestanding houses since they take too much land and only accommodate a few people.

The Development of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements (Breaking New Ground [BNG]) that aims, among other things, to eradicate informal settlements in the City of Ekurhuleni in the shortest possible time.

This new approach means more housing, which make it easier to provide more liveable human settlements with full basket of services, and amenities such as schools, clinics and public transport.

Within this broader vision, the Department is committed to meeting the following specific objectives:

  • Accelerating the delivery of housing as a key strategy for poverty alleviation
  • Utilising provision of housing as a major job creation strategy
  • Ensuring property can be accessed by all as an asset for wealth creation and empowerment.
  • Leveraging growth in the economy
  • Combating crime, promoting social cohesion and improving quality of life for the poor
  • Supporting the functioning of the entire single residential property market to reduce duality within the sector by breaking the barriers between the first economy residential property boom and the second economy slump.
  • Utilizing housing as an instrument for the development of sustainable human settlements, in support of spatial restructuring.

BNG houses are supposed to be larger than RDP houses, with two bedrooms, a separate bathroom with a toilet, shower and hand basin, a combined kitchen and living room area and electricity installation, where electricity supply is available in the township. The same conditions apply to qualify for a BNG house as for an RDP house.

A commitment has been made by the City to fast-track planning approval for construction of social housing complexes. It aims to deliver housing opportunities within 800m of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) stations. In far-flung areas, it plans to develop joint integration implantation plans with Department of Transport to connect with peripheral settlements to the BRT route.