What Is RDP Housing?
You have been talking about RDP for a while now but you don’t know what it stands for. RDP stands for Reconstruction and Development Programme. The great Black Nationalist and the first Black President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela executed the RDP policy of social and economic factor framework through his government in 1994. Since its inception, the South African government has built between two to three million RDP houses for low-income earners.
What do you think is the purpose of building RDP houses? RDP houses are structures built by the government for low-income families. Beneficiaries of the houses own them and do not rent them. They aim to mitigate poverty and the massive inadequateness in South African social services. Some of the RDP combined measures include:
- Boosting the economy.
- Lowering taxes.
- Supporting infrastructural projects.
- Reducing governmental debts.
Now, that you know the purpose of the government building RDP houses, who do you think is qualifies for the RDP house?
Who Qualifies For An RDP House?
RDP houses are part of a government-funded social housing project in South Africa. They are classified as government property, with no beneficiaries attached. The houses are allocated to homeless families, low-income families, and people with disabilities.
Who Qualifies For RDP House In South Africa?
For you to be eligible for RDP houses, you must meet the National Housing Subsidy Scheme criteria. These qualifications include:
- Be a South African citizen.
- Be married or living with a partner, or single and have dependents.
- Be over 21 years old and mentally competent to sign a contract.
- Be a first-time homeowner.
- Be a first-time government subsidy recipient.
- Earn less than R3,500 per month per household. (You will not qualify if family members earn a sum of R3,500 or more)
- Be a single military veteran without financial dependants.
- Be a single aged person without financial dependants.
I believe by now you have detailed information about RDP House and the purpose why the government had to build an RDP House. Well, what is left now for you to know is how to apply for it. Don’t be in the rush; keep reading to know about how to apply.
How To Apply For RDP Houses
For the RDP Government-subsidized houses application, there is no fee required. To secure an apartment, you will need to register at the provincial office of the Department of Human Settlements at 68 Voortrekker Road, Nevada Building, in Alberton. The registration process will require you to present the following documents,
- Your ID
- Your spouse’s ID
- Your children’s birth certificate
- If you are employed, proof of income
- You will need affidavit proof for an extended family member.
The application process involves filling in a housing subsidy application form. Depending on your location, successfully filling in the application form means you are registered to the National Housing Needs Register or the Municipal Housing Demands Database.
This register is a waiting list, and you will be issued a Form C, which indicates your application number and date. The details in the form will be critical during the RDP housing status check.
Ensure to make copies of all the above documents and certify them at your nearest police station or the magistrates’ court before visiting a satellite office.
RDP House Online Application Form
You can fill in the application form online. The process will require you to log onto the RDP online application system. The first step will need you to select a new application form and verify your details.
Cheers! You now know how to apply for RDP Houses. But, do you know how to check your RDP House status? Well, you still don’t need to bother yourself about that because you are on the right platform.
How To Check My RDP House Status
Successfully filling in the application form does not warrant you will be handed keys to your new home immediately. The process might take several months or years. Meanwhile, you ought to check the status of the application through the housing waiting status list check. These are two options on how to conduct the check.
You can check the status of your RDP house by calling 0800 146 873 or sending an email to email info@dhs.gov.za. Alternatively, you can confirm the progress by visiting your nearest Housing Provincial office with Form C. If the house is ready for occupancy, the housing department will contact you to sign a happy letter and hand you the title deed and house keys!
Note: Remember to inform the Satellite Office if there is any change in your;
- Residential and postal details
- Your health status
- Your working status (if you find or lose your job).
Having basic housing is a fundamental right of each person irrespective of race, gender and social status.
It is the City’s responsibility to provide and allocate government-subsidised housing, otherwise known as RDP houses.
To date, over 29 00 housing units have been delivered (jointly by the Gauteng Province and the City) and over 17 000 serviced stands.
To apply for an RDP house, you need to comply the National Housing Subsidy Scheme. This means you must be:
- A South African citizen with a valid ID,
- Over the age of 21 and mentally competent to sign a contract,
- Married or living with a partner, or single and have dependants (single military veterans or aged people without dependents also qualify),
- Earn less than R3 500 per month per household (so, if two people in your family earn and these earnings amount to more than R3 500 per month you will not qualify),
- A first time government subsidy recipient,
- A first time homeowner.
To apply for a government subsidy house, you need to take the following documents to your nearest customer care centre:
- Applicant and spouse’s identity documents (green book or ID card),
- Certified copies of birth certificates of children,
- Proof of income if working, eg pay slip.
You will be asked to fill in a housing subsidy application form and will then be registered on the Municipal Housing Demands Database – this is a “waiting list”. Only once a housing development is completed and if you are next on the list, will you be given keys and a title deed to your home – but it can take many years.
NOTE
- It is illegal to sell an RDP house before you have lived in it for eight years.
- It is illegal to rent out an RDP house.
- Should you want to extend or renovate a RDP home before eight years of ownership, you need to get permission from the City.
- If you are disabled the design of the house may change to accommodate the special needs of the person’s disabilit