The Bendor housing project, once a blocked project, is now running at full steam with the assistance of the HDA. The project had been blocked for over three years because of challenges experienced with the appointment of contractors for the project.
The Limpopo Province assigned the project to the Agency in 2012, to assist in unblocking its implementation and completion. The project is located on 17 hectares of land in the heart of Bendor, an upmarket suburb in Polokwane acquired by the province in 2007 for integrated sustainable human settlements intended to accommodate mixed-income households.
The project consists of the development of approximately 661 mixed-density typology housing units. The 661-unit project, with a rental component, is in close proximity to employment, education, business opportunities and other social amenities that will benefit the residents.
It will see the development of housing for the gap market, affordable rental housing and housing to accommodate middle-income households on well-located land. Gap housing refers to housing opportunities created and promoted by government, in partnership with the private sector, for first-time South African homeowners earning a combined monthly income of between R3 501 and R18 000.
The agency facilitated services installation and the appointment of a turnkey contactor for top-structure construction. The MEC for Human Settlements in Limpopo Province, the Honourable Makoma Makhurupetje, formally launched the project on Thursday, 12 March. In her speech, she mentioned that this project is “one of its kind in the province, in that low-income households can now access better-quality housing in a good location with government assistance”.
