The short answer
Unfortunately, this is a common story in Cape Town, and there has been a lot of anger and protests about it recently.
The whole question
I am from Delft, Cape Town. I applied for an RDP house in 2005 and have a reference number, but still no house even today. I've been calling the City of Cape Town. They keep telling me my status says "waiting".
I once received an SMS from the City saying "Your status has been changed to awaiting allocation" however when I contacted them I was told a different story that my status still says "waiting". I'm still wondering what happened.
I have three kids with no place called home. I play a role of mother and father to them. What have I been voting for?
I've been on a waiting list for more than ten years.
Please help me. I need a house, a home for my kids.
The long answer
Thank you for your email about the long delay in receiving an RDP house in Delft. To be on a waiting list for a house for 14 years is a very long time to wait, and it must be very frustrating for you as a mother of three children. Unfortunately, this is a common story in Cape Town, and there has been a lot of anger and protests about it recently.
It’s not at all clear why you should have received an SMS telling you that your status had changed from “waiting” to “awaiting allocation”, and then be told it was still “waiting”. What we know is that there are different lists, based on different criteria and needs, and so there is a lot of confusion.
The City of Cape Town says that housing developments in Delft (The Hague Phase 1, The Hague Phase 2 and Eindhoven) have been held up by problems with one of their contractors not doing the work properly and the long process involved in replacing the contractor, and after that, problems with sub-contractors. They say they are trying by all means to get the projects back on track so that the beneficiaries get their houses, and hope to have the houses built within two years.
You can check your status online at this website: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/HWL2012Online/
This is the Western Cape Housing hotline: 079 769 1207 (Please Call Me)
Answered on July 18, 2019, 1:21 p.m.
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