The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has noted a rise in groups and individuals who claim, mostly through videos circulated on social media, that houses are being allocated because of their lobbying, protests or pressure.

The department stated that some individuals go on to declare political ambitions ahead of the local government elections.

The department wishes to correct this impression. According to the department, houses in Gauteng are not allocated based on pressure, protest or proximity to any group.

The department explained that they are allocated through a strict, established system set out in the department’s Housing Allocations Policy and overseen by a Joint Allocation Committee.

The department said no individual, activist or organisation can move a person up the list, and any claim to the contrary is false.

Access to a fully government-subsidised RDP/BNG house follows a set process:

• Residents register on the National Housing Needs Register (NHNR) at their local municipal or Human Settlements office.
• When a project becomes available, applicants complete a subsidy application form. Eligibility is verified on the Housing Subsidy System (HSS), which checks income, marital status, existing property ownership and any prior housing benefit.
• Approved applicants are notified by SMS and taken through the pre-allocation process.
• The Joint Allocation Committee allocates completed, quality-assured units according to the priority order below. Beneficiaries sign a happy letter and receive their keys and later their title deed. Allocation is not first-come-first-served.

The priority order is:

• 1996–1999 waiting-list beneficiaries – 40%
• Approved beneficiaries with no previous allocation – 30%
• Elderly households – 10%
• MEC’s discretionary allocations – 10%
• People with disabilities – 5%
• Military veterans – 5%

The department indicated that this order exists to protect the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed households and to keep subsidised housing for those who genuinely qualify.

“Where the department is handing over houses, it is acting on a commitment to allocate completed units as quickly as possible to the most deserving beneficiaries, and to protect finished houses from being invaded or hijacked while they stand empty,” said the department

The department noted that the speed of allocation is a safeguard, not a concession to any group and that the pace of delivery reflects the system working, not pressure succeeding.

This financial year to date, the department has:

• Completed 1 333 houses in the first quarter.
• Installed municipal engineering services for 1 262 walk-up units.
• Allocated 1 448 houses against a target of 1 000.
• Released 488 serviced erven.
• Issued 815 title deeds.
• Resolved 895 rental housing disputes.
• Disbursed 43 subsidies through First Home Finance.

According to the department, in the previous financial year, 7 976 houses were completed against a target of 7 503.

“The 1 448 houses already allocated this year, well above the target of 1 000, were delivered through the same system that has always been in place, not because of any campaign or protest,” said the department.

The department expressed concerns about scams that prey on desperate residents in this space. No official, agent, activist or organisation can guarantee a house, fast-track an application or register a person for a fee.

The department shared that Government-subsidised housing is free to qualifying beneficiaries. Residents should never pay anyone for a house, a place on the list or a faster allocation and should not hand over their ID, banking details or documents to anyone making these promises.

The department said that residents who already own property, who have benefited from a housing programme in Gauteng or another province, or who do not meet the qualifying criteria are urged not to apply so that opportunities remain for those who genuinely need them.

The department appeals to residents to verify information only through official Gauteng Department of Human Settlements channels and their local municipal or Human Settlements offices, and to report anyone demanding payment or claiming to control allocations to the department or the SAPS.