What does "Position in Area" mean on my government house application?

The long answer

“Registered” means that your RDP application is on the government housing database and that you are officially on the waiting list to be considered for an RDP house.

“Position in area” indicates the number of people who have applied in the area that you applied in, the number of people already on the Needs Register, and the number of people on the day that you applied. Human Settlements said that this number would change as more people applied, and if there was a project in that area. 

They said that the number was just a reference number and it didn't necessarily mean that you would be allocated a house. They said that the Allocations Committee decided on who would be allocated a house. This Committee had to see that the beneficiaries were in line with the Criteria laid down for allocating houses, and it also had to prioritise people with special needs, like the elderly and those with disabilities. 

So, if the number on your housing status was, for example, "500/1000", it likely means there were 500 applications on the day you applied and that there were 1,000 applications that were already registered.

But as they say, the Allocations Committee would still have to choose the beneficiaries in line with the rules laid down for being eligible to get a house. The Committee would also have to see whether there were others whose needs would take priority, in terms of the rules.

So perhaps you should just keep checking your application. If the Committee was in the process of deciding who the beneficiaries would be, it would say “In Allocation”.

Wishing you the best,
Athalie