Close to 3 451 homes in Phumlani, Heinz Park, Macassar, Chris Nissen, Gordon’s Bay, Silver City and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village will benefit from Phase 2 of the City of Cape Town’s upcoming R60 million ceiling retrofit project.
The City’s Mayco member for Area East, Anda Ntsodo, said the project would begin today, Wednesday February 1 and was expected to be completed at the end of June if all went according to schedule.
“This project is more than just the installation of ceilings. It is about improving the living conditions of our residents by contributing to their well-being so that they are able to enjoy the comfort of their homes with their families,” said Mr Ntsodo.
The aim of the project is to install ceilings in old state-subsidised houses – commonly referred to as RDP houses – which were constructed many years ago without ceilings. This project also includes the repair of roof leaks and the installation of safer ceiling lighting.
During Phase 1, the City invested R83 million for some 4 550 ceilings that were installed in various areas, such as Vrygrond, Eureka, Kalkfontein, Broadlands (Strand), Lwandle, and Wesbank. This included fixing roof leaks and installing safer ceiling lighting.
Between 1994 and 2005, most government-subsidised housing units were constructed without insulated ceilings and weatherproofing. This was because the national government subsidy did not make provision for this. After 2005, the housing subsidy was increased to provide ceilings, weatherproofing and partitioned bedrooms. In Cape Town alone, it is estimated that there are approximately 50 000 state-subsidised homes that do not have ceilings.
Brett Herron Mayco member for transport and urban development, said the R60 million investment was a very exciting project because the City had the opportunity to directly make a difference in the lives of vulnerable residents.
“By installing ceilings in homes, we are alleviating the discomfort that residents have experienced as a result of the poor thermal performance of these homes and the condensation which gives rise to damp conditions and inferior internal air quality.”
