DA's Plan for Growth and Jobs - Democratic Alliance

Subsidy for gap housing marketIntroduce a subsidy programme aimed at low-income individuals who do not qualify for RDPhousing which will assist people gain access to bank loans. This will help thousands ofhouseholds who fall into the ‘gap’ housing market, whose incomes are currently insufficientfor them to access mortgages from commercial banks.Repeal Communal Land Rights ActRepeal the Communal Land Right Act, Act 11 of 2004. Legislation will then be drafted thatwill provide for an orderly and rational process of transfer to individual ownership. This willinclude a comprehensive survey of all land in the former homelands, a dedicated registrationprocess in which individual community members are given assistance registering ownershipof the land they are living on. An appropriate rates collection system applied thereafter,consistent with the Municipal Systems Act.Audit of state-owned landConduct a comprehensive audit of all state-owned land in the country. The terms ofreference will require the audit to document the total land area owned by national, provincialand local authorities; assess the suitability of this land for agriculture, housing or otherpurposes and identify specific sites suitable for transfer to low-income individuals.Policy outcome: Proactive social policies and programmesAmendment to Social Assistance ActAmend Section 5(2) of the Social Assistance Act, Act 13 of 2004, which provides foradditional requirements or conditions that may be prescribed by the Minister, so that ‘schoolenrolment’ and ‘proof of vaccination’ are added to the proof and verification measures thatmay be required under paragraph (g).Social capital incentive grant (SCIG)Amend Section 13 such that, in addition to the social relief of distress grants that may beprovided for at the discretion of the Minister, a supplementary social capital incentive grantmay be provided for recipients of existing grants, provided certain requirements are met asper Section 5(2), and provided these payments do not exceed 5% of the total value of socialgrants already received. To be eligible to receive the SCIG, recipients will have to provideevidence of one or more of the following: (i) membership of a library; (ii) regular participationof a neighbourhood watch organisation or its equivalent; (iii) regular participation in a parentteacher association; (iv) membership of a sports club; (v) regular volunteer work.Housing subsidy voucherIntroduce a programme of subsidy vouchers that will allow recipients greater flexibility inchoosing the low-cost housing option that best suits their needs and incentivises ‘self-help’.By introducing a greater element of choice into state-funded housing assistance thisprogramme will ensure that individuals and households have greater stake in the success ofhuman settlement programmes.National serviced plots programmeRollout a nation-wide programme to deliver serviced plots to improve flexibility in housingprovision, expedite service delivery and encourage ‘self-help’. The core aim of the servicedplots programme is for the delivery of basic services to reach as many households aspossible, taking into consideration fiscal realities.52 | P a g e