Residents at Geduld council-owned old age home charge higher than metro claims

Residents from a Geduld council-owned old age home say they are being charged higher amounts than they should be for their rent and levy.

This comes after the publication of the article “Metro housing an option for elderly”, where metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe explained residents at council-owned old age homes should be charged five per cent of their joint income for rent and a levy depending on the type of unit they live in.

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For example, for a couple who live in a one bedroom unit with prepaid electricity and who both get Sassa grants, their monthly payment should be calculated as follows:

Joint income: R1 690 multiplied by two = R3 380

Rent should be five per cent of their income = R169

Levy for one bedroom unit which includes cover fees for assessment rates, service charges, administration, maintenance costs and water consumption = R292.30

Total amount should be = R461.30

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The residents The Addie spoke to were charged 25 per cent of their joint income and with the levy included were paying R1 136 per month.

“It’s really not fair how some people are charged more than others.

“Right now, my pension goes towards paying rent and the levy and then we use my wife’s pension to pay for our living expenses.

“That leaves us in a dangerous situation because if we have an emergency or a problem during the month, we have no money left to pay,” says Gert.

The residents are getting increasingly frustrated as they don’t understand why they are paying so much and fear they will not be able to cope in future as the rent increases by 10 per cent every year.

“We just want some clarity on what is happening,” says Gert.

The metro failed to respond in time for publication but The Addie will follow up on the matter.