The DPSA said the housing allowance benefit is but one of the interventions that the government has introduced to address the homeownership challenge amongst government employees.

The Department of Human Settlements (DHS), through its entity the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC), has also introduced subsidies for the public and the subsidy is also extended to qualifying government employees to benefit from this initiative.

“The PSCBC Resolution 7 of 2015 requires the GEHS to pursue structured partnerships with spheres of government, public development agencies, development finance institutions, as well as private entities to gear up efforts and investments therein to advance the objectives of the scheme as such the DPSA has amongst others signed agreements with the National Treasury and the NHFC.”

The GEHS has identified key role players in the government sector in addressing the supply of housing stock in order to empower government employees to be homeowners.

This included a partnership with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) due to the strategic role it can play in order to assist the GEHS with the Permission-to-Occupy (PTO) matters.

These are letters issued by traditional leaders for government employees who would like to build homes in rural areas so they can access their Housing Allowance savings in the ILSF.

Another identified stakeholder is the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure(DPWI), given its role as custodian and portfolio manager of the national government’s immovable assets and management of rental units that are occupied by government employees working in different sector departments.

Another is with the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) entity, the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC), for the provision of First Home Finance subsidies to government employees.

There is also a partnership with the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for the availability of serviced sites in various municipalities to assist government employees to access the sites, and in social housing, it engages with the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA).

FAST COMPANY

#affordablehousing

Government Boosts Housing Allowance for Public Servants: Details on the New Rates