KZN Human Settlements' unveils plans to tackle housing for flood victims

THE Department of Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal has announced detailed plans aimed at addressing accommodation for people displaced by disasters.

- THAMI MAGUBANE [e-mail]

This comes amid concerns that the department has failed to deliver on key objectives, including building disaster relief housing in a timely manner.

The department revealed yesterday that it plans to renovate a building purchased from Transnet, which will provide immediate housing relief stock for those left homeless by recent disasters.

Going forward, the department intends to limit spending on private accommodation for those displaced by natural disasters.

Last week, 189 individuals and more than 60 families spent a night outside after being evicted from the Bayside Hotel in Durban amid a payment dispute, as the department had not paid the hotel owner.

To date, it has spent R185 million to accommodate families in about six private accommodations across Durban, and it said it needed an additional R128 million to continue doing so. The flood victims have since been placed in another building after the hotel owner refused to take them back in.

This incident unfolded amid growing concerns that the department was failing to deliver on its key mandates. DA spokesperson on Human Settlements, Riona Gokool, stated that the department's portfolio committee was briefed on its performance to date, raising serious concerns.