The City of Cape Town has committed R295 million for the upgrade of 43 500 flats and houses that the City rents out to tenants.
Speaking at a media briefing, Cape Town's housing councillor Dan Plato said, “Flats and houses owned by the City and rented to residents will be assessed for upgrading and maintenance. The maintenance team will then do the necessary construction work, as well as repainting and improving the general appearance of the units."
Plato said that the council had received notification from tenants that many of the City’s buildings were badly dilapidated.
Tenants had lodged complaints regarding crumbling staircases, broken railings, loose tiles and collapsing ceilings, reports the Cape Argus.
In many of the buildings, deteriorating plaster and brick work would be addressed as well as the potentially hazardous exposure of electrical wiring.
According the Argus, geysers would be replaced while many of the 30 year old properties in Elsies River would receive their first bathrooms.
Phase one of a project will take three years while the entire project will eventually see all the City's rental housing properties, totalling 43 500 units, receiving attention.
The entire project is expected to take up to 3 years to complete.
Flats to be upgraded as part of Phase 1 of the project are as follows:
• Connaught Estate Flats, Elsies River
• Scottsdene Flats, Oostenberg
• Uitsig Houses, Elsies River
• Woodlands Flats, Woodlands, Mitchells Plain
• Kewtown Flats, Kewtown, Athlone
• Hanover Park Flats, Hanover Park
• Heideveld Flats, Heideveld
• Manenberg Flats, Manenberg
• Marble Flats, Ottery
For more information contact the City of Cape Town call centre 0860 103 089
Steuart has done some 500 talks on South Africa's progress since 1994 and SA's prospects for the future' 
