Housing Subsidy Programs
Empowering communities through accessible housing solutions
Individual Subsidy
This programme provides access to state assistance where qualifying households wish to acquire an existing house or a vacant serviced residential stand, linked to a house construction contract through an approved mortgage loan. These properties are available in the normal secondary housing market or have been developed, as part of projects not financed through one of the National Housing Programmes.
- Available on a first come first serve basis
- May be credit linked or non credit linked
- For existing house or stand with building contract
- Available in secondary housing market
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Consolidation Subsidy
The consolidation subsidy is available to a beneficiary who has already received assistance through government to acquire a serviced residential site under the pre-1994 housing scheme. This subsidy is applicable to serviced sites that were obtained on the basis of ownership, leasehold or deed of grant and must be utilised to construct or upgrade a top structure on the relevant property.
- For pre-1994 housing scheme beneficiaries
- Applicable to ownership, leasehold, or deed of grant
- Used to construct or upgrade top structure
- Supports existing serviced sites
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Institutional Subsidy
Institutional Housing Subsidies are available to Housing Institutions that provide tenure arrangements alternative to immediate ownership (such as rental, installment sale, share block or co-operative tenure) to subsidy beneficiaries.
- Alternative tenure arrangements
- Enables affordable housing stock
- Rental unit transfer restricted for 4 years
- Requires capital investment by institution
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Assistance to Destitute and Other Vulnerable Groups
A destitute individual is one who has lost his/her productive capacity and is unable to engage in economic activities and has no shelter or close family members that can assist him/her.
- Assistance for those without productive capacity
- Support for those without shelter or family help
- Targets individuals affected by natural disasters
- Includes minors deserted or orphaned
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme
The programme facilitates the structured upgrading of informal settlements. It applies to in situ upgrading of informal settlements as well as where communities are to be relocated for a variety of reasons.
- Extensive community consultation
- Emergency basic services provision
- Permanent services provision
- Security of tenure
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Assistance to Military Veterans
The Department is expected to provide 50 square metre houses to Military Veterans with a top up from the Department of Military Veterans.
- 50 square metre houses
- Top-up from Department of Military Veterans
- Household income less than R125,000 per annum
- Dependents of deceased not considered
Qualification criteria:
Household income less than R125,000 per annum, income of R10,416.67 per month.
Spouse or dependents not required.
Enhanced People's Housing Process (EPHP)
The Enhanced People's Housing Process aims to support household who wish to enhance their housing subsidies by making decisions building their own homes.
- Supports beneficiary participation
- Maximizes decision-making in development
- Accessible through various subsidy programs
- Includes technical assistance
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Rural Subsidy: Communal Land Rights
This subsidy is available to beneficiaries who only enjoy functional tenure rights to the land they occupy. This land is normally in rural areas and belongs to the state and is governed by traditional authorities.
- Available on a project basis
- Supported by implementing agents
- Beneficiaries decide subsidy use
- For service provision or house building
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP)
Government housing Subsidy Available to First Time Home Owners Earning Between R 3501 – R 22000 – Who qualify for home loans.
- For first-time home owners
- Reduces mortgage bond
- Once-off subsidy
- Supports various property types
What is FLISP?
Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Program, better known as FLISP, was developed by the Department of Human Settlement to enable affordable first time home-ownership opportunities to South African citizens and legal permanent residents earning between R 3 501 and R 22 000 per month, (the "affordable" or "gap" market). Individuals in these salary bands generally find it hard to qualify for housing finance; their income is regarded as low for mortgage finance, but too high to qualify for the government "free-basic-house" subsidy scheme.
What to do with FLISP?
Qualifying applicants may use FLISP to do one of the following:
• buy an existing, new or old, residential property.
• buy a vacant serviced residential-stand, linked to an NHBRC registered home-builder.
• contract or build a residential property on a self-owned serviced residential stand, through an NHBRC registered home-builder.
The once-off FLISP subsidy amount ranges between R 20 000 and R 87 000, depending on the applicant's income. The maximum price of a property that can be financed through FLISP is not limited, but the applicant has to meet the income bracket (R 3501- R 22 000).
Subsidy Variation For Extraordinary Development Conditions And Disabled People
In order to ensure that housing units delivered through the National Housing Scheme are adjusted to accommodate the special housing needs of a disabled beneficiary (or a member of the beneficiary household) to enable them to live independently, certain additions/alterations are necessary.
- Special housing additions
- Paving and ramps
- Grab rails in bathrooms
- Visible door bells for the deaf
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Housing Assistance In Emergency Circumstances
This Programme will apply to emergency situations of exceptional housing need, such situations being referred to as "Emergencies". The Programme will benefit all affected persons who are not in a position to address their housing emergency from their own resources or from other sources such as the proceeds of house insurance policies.
- Temporary housing for disaster victims
- Assistance for informal settlement upgrades
- Support for natural or man-made disasters
- Broader eligibility criteria
Who will be assisted?
Households that comply with the Housing Subsidy Scheme qualification criteria;
In certain cases households/persons with a monthly income exceeding the maximum income set for subsidisation as approved by MINMEC may also apply for assistance under this Programme;
Households headed by minors, who are not competent to contract may benefit with assistance from the Department responsible for Social Development;
Persons without dependants; and
Persons who are not first-time home owners.
Applications from the following people may be considered on a case-by-case basis:
• Persons who have previously received housing assistance and who previously owned and/or currently own a residential property; and
• Immigrants whose residence status is uncertain on the conditions prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Economic Opportunities: Youth Brigade
The National department of Human Settlements identified a need for a dedicated programme for the participation of youth in human settlements delivery through service.
- Job creation through contractor wages
- Artisan development with stipend
- Professional development support
- Exit strategies for self-reliance
Programme Details:
1. Job Creation: No Stipend is provided for this category as the youth will part of the labour force of the contractor and will be paid the applicable wages by the contractor from project funds as part of normal labour or sub–contractors.
2. Artisan Development: This is essentially related to the National Youth Services (NYS) programme. This entails Recruitment, Technical Training (off site) and On site training / Community Service. The total duration for the Artisan Development programme therefore is 12 months during which stipend of R1500.00 is payable to each youth Brigade member.
3. Professional Development: The trained youth will be supported to access tertiary education opportunities.
4. Exit Strategies (After Care): The youth that have undergone the various training programmes will be given guidance & may therefore; Form their own companies; Establish Co-operatives or Joint Ventures with other youth.
Housing Subsidy Programs
Empowering communities through accessible housing solutions
Individual Subsidy
This programme provides access to state assistance where qualifying households wish to acquire an existing house or a vacant serviced residential stand, linked to a house construction contract through an approved mortgage loan. These properties are available in the normal secondary housing market or have been developed, as part of projects not financed through one of the National Housing Programmes.
- Available on a first come first serve basis
- May be credit linked or non credit linked
- For existing house or stand with building contract
- Available in secondary housing market
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Consolidation Subsidy
The consolidation subsidy is available to a beneficiary who has already received assistance through government to acquire a serviced residential site under the pre-1994 housing scheme. This subsidy is applicable to serviced sites that were obtained on the basis of ownership, leasehold or deed of grant and must be utilised to construct or upgrade a top structure on the relevant property.
- For pre-1994 housing scheme beneficiaries
- Applicable to ownership, leasehold, or deed of grant
- Used to construct or upgrade top structure
- Supports existing serviced sites
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Institutional Subsidy
Institutional Housing Subsidies are available to Housing Institutions that provide tenure arrangements alternative to immediate ownership (such as rental, installment sale, share block or co-operative tenure) to subsidy beneficiaries.
- Alternative tenure arrangements
- Enables affordable housing stock
- Rental unit transfer restricted for 4 years
- Requires capital investment by institution
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Assistance to Destitute and Other Vulnerable Groups
A destitute individual is one who has lost his/her productive capacity and is unable to engage in economic activities and has no shelter or close family members that can assist him/her.
- Assistance for those without productive capacity
- Support for those without shelter or family help
- Targets individuals affected by natural disasters
- Includes minors deserted or orphaned
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Informal Settlement Upgrading Programme
The programme facilitates the structured upgrading of informal settlements. It applies to in situ upgrading of informal settlements as well as where communities are to be relocated for a variety of reasons.
- Extensive community consultation
- Emergency basic services provision
- Permanent services provision
- Security of tenure
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Assistance to Military Veterans
The Department is expected to provide 50 square metre houses to Military Veterans with a top up from the Department of Military Veterans.
- 50 square metre houses
- Top-up from Department of Military Veterans
- Household income less than R125,000 per annum
- Dependents of deceased not considered
Qualification criteria:
Household income less than R125,000 per annum, income of R10,416.67 per month.
Spouse or dependents not required.
Enhanced People's Housing Process (EPHP)
The Enhanced People's Housing Process aims to support household who wish to enhance their housing subsidies by making decisions building their own homes.
- Supports beneficiary participation
- Maximizes decision-making in development
- Accessible through various subsidy programs
- Includes technical assistance
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependents.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Rural Subsidy: Communal Land Rights
This subsidy is available to beneficiaries who only enjoy functional tenure rights to the land they occupy. This land is normally in rural areas and belongs to the state and is governed by traditional authorities.
- Available on a project basis
- Supported by implementing agents
- Beneficiaries decide subsidy use
- For service provision or house building
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP)
Government housing Subsidy Available to First Time Home Owners Earning Between R 3501 – R 22000 – Who qualify for home loans.
- For first-time home owners
- Reduces mortgage bond
- Once-off subsidy
- Supports various property types
What is FLISP?
Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Program, better known as FLISP, was developed by the Department of Human Settlement to enable affordable first time home-ownership opportunities to South African citizens and legal permanent residents earning between R 3 501 and R 22 000 per month, (the "affordable" or "gap" market). Individuals in these salary bands generally find it hard to qualify for housing finance; their income is regarded as low for mortgage finance, but too high to qualify for the government "free-basic-house" subsidy scheme.
What to do with FLISP?
Qualifying applicants may use FLISP to do one of the following:
• buy an existing, new or old, residential property.
• buy a vacant serviced residential-stand, linked to an NHBRC registered home-builder.
• contract or build a residential property on a self-owned serviced residential stand, through an NHBRC registered home-builder.
The once-off FLISP subsidy amount ranges between R 20 000 and R 87 000, depending on the applicant's income. The maximum price of a property that can be financed through FLISP is not limited, but the applicant has to meet the income bracket (R 3501- R 22 000).
Subsidy Variation For Extraordinary Development Conditions And Disabled People
In order to ensure that housing units delivered through the National Housing Scheme are adjusted to accommodate the special housing needs of a disabled beneficiary (or a member of the beneficiary household) to enable them to live independently, certain additions/alterations are necessary.
- Special housing additions
- Paving and ramps
- Grab rails in bathrooms
- Visible door bells for the deaf
To qualify one must:
Be South African citizen or hold of a permanent residence permit.
Be 18 years and older.
Be married or habitually cohabit.
Be single and have financial dependents constantly living with you.
Single people without financial dependents, such as the aged, people with disabilities and military veterans may be assisted.
Must earn 0-R 3500.
Not owned a house in the past.
Documents required:
A green Bar Identity Document or Identity Card.
If married, a spouse ID book is needed + marriage certificate.
Birth certificate of children and identity document of your dependants.
Proof of income.
Death certificate, if spouse died.
Divorce decree, if divorced.
Housing Assistance In Emergency Circumstances
This Programme will apply to emergency situations of exceptional housing need, such situations being referred to as "Emergencies". The Programme will benefit all affected persons who are not in a position to address their housing emergency from their own resources or from other sources such as the proceeds of house insurance policies.
- Temporary housing for disaster victims
- Assistance for informal settlement upgrades
- Support for natural or man-made disasters
- Broader eligibility criteria
Who will be assisted?
Households that comply with the Housing Subsidy Scheme qualification criteria;
In certain cases households/persons with a monthly income exceeding the maximum income set for subsidisation as approved by MINMEC may also apply for assistance under this Programme;
Households headed by minors, who are not competent to contract may benefit with assistance from the Department responsible for Social Development;
Persons without dependants; and
Persons who are not first-time home owners.
Applications from the following people may be considered on a case-by-case basis:
• Persons who have previously received housing assistance and who previously owned and/or currently own a residential property; and
• Immigrants whose residence status is uncertain on the conditions prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Economic Opportunities: Youth Brigade
The National department of Human Settlements identified a need for a dedicated programme for the participation of youth in human settlements delivery through service.
- Job creation through contractor wages
- Artisan development with stipend
- Professional development support
- Exit strategies for self-reliance
Programme Details:
1. Job Creation: No Stipend is provided for this category as the youth will part of the labour force of the contractor and will be paid the applicable wages by the contractor from project funds as part of normal labour or sub–contractors.
2. Artisan Development: This is essentially related to the National Youth Services (NYS) programme. This entails Recruitment, Technical Training (off site) and On site training / Community Service. The total duration for the Artisan Development programme therefore is 12 months during which stipend of R1500.00 is payable to each youth Brigade member.
3. Professional Development: The trained youth will be supported to access tertiary education opportunities.
4. Exit Strategies (After Care): The youth that have undergone the various training programmes will be given guidance & may therefore; Form their own companies; Establish Co-operatives or Joint Ventures with other youth.
OUR WORK
Listed are our key success factors thus far.
437967
LOW COST HOUSES BUILT
1994 - 2023/24
104894
TITTLE DEEDS ISSUED
1994 - 2023/24
36146
HOUSES RECTIFIED
1994 - 2023/24
161690
Services Installed
1994 - 2023/24
2478
FIRST HOME FINANCE (FLISP)
2014 - 2023/24
822
TRAINING OPPORTINITES
2024 - 2021
4361
SOCIAL RENTAL UNITS
1994 - 2023/24
866755Ha
Ha ACQUIRED
1994 - 2023/24
201740
JOBS CREATED
1994 - 2023/24
