Cape Town - More than 70 tenants living at the Goodwood Station DCI Community Housing Development, have come forward accusing the landlords of placing them in a “prison-like set-up”.
The DCI Goodwood Station complex comprises 1055 units, and was built to help alleviate housing backlogs, and accommodate low-medium income households.
The tenants, who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity out of fear of being victimised, however, said the dream sold to them was far from the reality they were living, coupled with poor communication from the landlords.
One of the tenants said she had to ask permission for visitors to come over more than twice a week.
“You are only allowed five sleepovers a month, and your visitors have a curfew of 10pm.
“There is a problem about electricity as well. They have this app called Anasa, where you get billed a daily tariff – round R40 per day, and that’s besides the electricity you buy, it’s daylight robbery.”
Another tenant said tenants felt as though none of their concerns were taken into consideration.
“On the lease agreement they said we will have our own meters but we don’t have that.
“They also said parking will be arranged but we are parking in the road where our cars are broken into. So to me it means they are breaching their own lease agreement, yet nothing is being done about it.”
In a letter addressed to the DCI landlords, the tenants raised nine points, including allowing e-hailing drivers to drop them off inside the complex instead of at the small gate, having dependants added to the lease, sewage and refuse rates concerns and poor attendance to maintenance issues. The residents also raised concern that their children are required to carry their birth certificates for identification purposes.
The tenants asked management to do away with this requirement, explaining: “We appreciate the safety measures that require visitors to present their ID documents, however, typically parents do not carry birth certificates with them.”
DCI Community Housing Services CEO Fezile Calana said they acknowledged the tenants’ grievances and said the house rules for the complex have been drawn up to protect the interests of all tenants.
Calana said the current tariffs were in line with the City’s tariff structure for social housing.
“All tenants were informed about the additional surcharges in the leasing workshops.
“Electricity and water each have a monthly basic service fee.
“The charges are deducted daily to elevate the pressure of paying a monthly fee of R387 50 (R12 503 – which is R8.05 for electricity and R4.453 for water.”)
Regarding the sleepovers, Calana said they were guided by the regulations of the Social Housing Regulatory Authority.
Calana added that the City was in a public participation process regarding parking.
“Once concluded enclosed parking will be made available on rental if the land is being rented to the City.”
He further explained that tenants at the time of applying are to disclose dependants and spouses so that necessary verification can be done.
“What may seem restrictive to some, are in fact important rules to protect the security and the harmoniousness of the majority.”
Cape Argus