Human Settlements

[1] The Draft Special Needs Policy of the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDHS) remains a draft document. My department has been unable to finalise the policy due to various concerns in terms of the expected responsibilities of the WCDHS and the funding mechanism of the policy. For example:

• While the provincial Departments of Social Development and   Health can typically cover the operating funding of Non Profit Organizations through operating grants, they have no provisions for funding the capital components themselves.
• The draft policy for the Western Cape proposes that the gap in the capital funding for these types of facilities may well be covered by the WCDHS. However, in order to do so, this requires a deviation from the National Housing Code as currently there is no national programme in the code that enables the funding of such a programme.
• The WCDHS, as a Provincial Department, can only implement and fund programmes contained in the National Housing Code.

In order to address this conundrum, my department made a submission to MINMEC in April 2013 requesting a deviation from the National Housing Code to allow for the use of the Institutional Subsidy in order to support a programme for Special Housing Needs. MINMEC did not grant the deviation but resolved that further research be undertaken on this subject. The National Department of Human Settlements was tasked with conducting this research and advising on a suitable policy response.

Since 2014, the National Departments of Human Settlements (DHS) and Social Development (DSD) have been overseeing a project to investigate and formulate policy interventions for a capital programme to assist persons with special housing needs. The aim is to have this programme included in the National Housing Code upon approval by the National Minister. Upon approval, Provincial departments will then set aside funding from the Human Settlement Development Grant (HSDG) to fund this programme. A national Project Steering Committee (PSC) was set up and is jointly managed by the DHS and DSD, with Project Preparation Trust (PPT) employed as a Project Manager (service provider). The WCDHS is represented in this committee.

 A Draft National Policy document for the capital programme to support Special Needs Housing was developed by January 2015 and was circulated for comments for a period of 3 months. These comments were considered in revisions to the Draft National Policy which are to be tabled to both national Ministers for consideration and sign-off.

[2] National DHS has yet to present the Draft Policy to the National Ministers of DHS and DSD for comment and adoption at a joint MINMEC meeting. As this has not yet happened, the Draft Policy has not been approved by the national Ministers and the status of the policy therefore remains a Draft. The approval of a Western Cape policy for special needs housing is contingent on the approval of this national policy. My department remains in contact with National DHS to track progress with this policy process.