MMC Leitch to launch Lufhereng Housing Project

The Johannesburg Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Human Settlements, Cllr Anthea Leitch and Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) will on Friday, 26 May, launch the Lufhereng Social Housing Project in Soweto, Region D.

The project is aimed at integrating mixed income groups to curb the housing backlog and to achieve socio-economic and spatial integration. The Lufhereng Social Housing Project consists of 407 units and its target market is people from Region D and surrounding areas. The development boosts innovative design and features.

The purpose of the launch is to render the project complete for occupation by the new tenants, and to welcome the beneficiaries into their new homes. Four beneficiaries will be handed over keys to their new homes on the day of the launch, however, occupation by the rest of the approved applicants (who have paid rental deposits) will be on the 1st of June 2023.

Lufhereng township is located in the southwest of Soweto between the townships of Protea Glen and Slovo. It was established in 2006 as part of the government’s efforts to provide affordable housing to low-income families. Lufhereng was planned as a mixed-income development, with a range of housing options to cater to different income levels. The township has a combination of government- subsidized houses, affordable rental units, and fully subsidized social housing units. The development also includes community facilities such as schools, clinics, and recreational areas.

The City’s Human Settlements department through its entity JOSHCO aims to promote urban regeneration, support socio-economic development, and foster growth in local economies through Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) and job creation. Affordable rental accommodation contributes to both the City’s and South Africa’s broader goals of promoting social cohesion, economic growth, democracy, and the restoration of dignity through affordable rental accommodation and providing quality building offerings maintained through planned and unplanned maintenance.

JOSHCO is confident that it will be able to change the lives of Johannesburg residents who continue to live in ever-worsening living conditions. Social housing remains the only human settlements solution where accommodation and rentals are linked to household incomes. It provides beautiful, affordable, and spacious units. Most of the individuals and families that stay in JOSHCO rental units were backyard dwellers who were exposed to overcrowding and lacked basic services such as electricity and running water.