In celebration of World Habitat Day, the Build Week has been scheduled at the Pelican Park Project from Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October 2015.
World Habitat Day is a United Nations (UN) initiative that is commemorated annually on the first Monday of October to reflect on the progress in human settlements and shelter rights worldwide.
The final phase of construction for approximately 400 Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses is underway and expected to be complete by December 2015.
The Pelican Park project is integrated across the full spectrum of affordability, with 2 024 totally subsidised homes (BNG) being built alongside 760 starter homes (Gap Housing) selling for R375 500, and 360 higher value homes (bonded) valued from R497 500 to R700 000.
The total cost of this development is approximately R700 million, which includes State funding and private investment.
This World Habitat Day Build Week is a collaborative initiative between the City of Cape Town, Habitat for Humanity and Power Developments.
‘The City would like to thank all volunteers and every organisation who will be participating in Build Week. By being a part of this project, they are building more than just houses, they are contributing towards building better lives and better futures for some of our most vulnerable residents, many of whom were denied home ownership under the apartheid regime,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen.
To date, the City has already handed over approximately 1 600 Pelican Park units.
‘When these houses are handed over, it gives previously disadvantaged residents the opportunity to own an asset, which is key to their empowerment and to the transformation of our city in general. The City, with the support of our partners, is making every effort to enable redress through increased delivery of housing opportunities to our vulnerable residents. This project is testament to the need for partnerships between government and the private sector to balance the dynamics of the housing market. We also have to devise new ways to ensure large-scale delivery of housing opportunities,’ said Councillor Van Minnen.
The Pelican Park development, which was accorded Gold Star status in the Mayor’s Portfolio for Sustainable Development, incorporates provision for two new schools and a regional clinic to be developed respectively by the Western Cape Government Department of Education and City Health, as well as two properties zoned as places of worship.
A commercial precinct was also opened in November 2014 in an effort to enable economic opportunities for residents.
There are generous open spaces within the development itself and safe courtyards encircled by houses.
The development also fronts onto the False Bay Ecology Park, which can be accessed during daylight hours and provides pleasant opportunities for bird-watching and picnicking while overlooking the Zeekoevlei.
