Human Settlements
(a) What measures are in place to adapt the Housing Consumer Education (HCE) Programme during the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) what resources are available to new homeowners in this regard, (c) what is the total number of HCE sessions that have been held during the lockdown period to date and (d) what has been the impact of these sessions on property owners?
(a) During April 2020, my department envisaged the implications that the Covid-19 lockdown will have on the facilitation of Housing Consumer Education(HCE)group sessions. During the level 4 and 5 lockdown periods, my department proactively developed information and literature packs. The literature pack includes the drafting of a Will, house insurance, general maintenance as well as brochures with regards to Municipal services.
(b) Maintaining the social distancing, beneficiaries are handed the literature packs on the day of occupation and my departments’ HCE trainers will visit them in their homes to facilitate the training with their families. My department recruited four trainers at Head Office level and who will be facilitating training within the metro in the homes of beneficiaries whose families recently occupied their homes during the lockdown period.
A further thirteen trainers who are young academic graduates who possess training knowledge and experience in the Human Settlements and Local Government environment, have been appointed from key Municipalities in the Province.
(c) A total of 34 beneficiaries were trained and a further 360 beneficiaries will be trained individually as from1 August 2020.
(d) My department has a Housing Consumer Education (HCE) programme that focuses on empowering communities of their Rights, Roles and Responsibilities as new property owners.
The new homeowners are given a snag list and are informed about the responsibility of walking through their homes to check for any faults (toilet pot leaks, broken windows, can doors close properly, etc.).
This programme is a training instrument that was developed to inform and ensure that the beneficiary is empowered in line with the regulatory framework of the Consumer Protection Measures Act. It also grants the beneficiary an opportunity to voice his/ her concerns directly to the department.
My department stipulates HCE as a basic requirement in all Housing Project approvals. Beneficiaries’ are required to attend a HCE training session before occupation. The programme is rolled out in all Human Settlements projects/ programmes in the different Municipal areas of the Western Cape Province.
