Gauteng housing crisis deepens as R450m budget is cut

THE Gauteng provincial legislature's portfolio committee on human settlements has expressed concerns over the reduction of the budget of the province's Human Settlements Department by R450 million, despite the increasing housing backlog.

- LOYISO SIDIMBA

The reduction was necessitated by the decision by the National Department of Human Settlements to reduce the human settlement grant (HSG) allocation to Gauteng by R300m and the informal settlement upgrading partner-ship grant (ISUPG) allocation by R150m due to unsatisfactory performance by the province.