A housing scam at the new Maroela housing scheme in Kraaifontein has reared its ugly head, luring vulnerable victims to pay fake registration fees in the hope of receiving a house.
The apparent scam involves fraudsters advertising “RDP houses” for which residents should register at a certain fee to become eligible.
The current phase of the social housing project consists of Breaking New Ground (BNG) homes for those who earn up to R3 500 a month and the planned Gap units, for those who earn between R3 501 and R22 000 a month.
The project involves the construction of 395 state-subsidised BNG homes and 175 Gap housing units for those who earn between R3 500 and R22 000 a month.
The first 10 houses were handed over in October last year, and the current phase is expected to be completed in mid 2025.
The City of Cape Town is urging residents to be cautious.
Mayco member for human settlements Carl Pophaim said it’s heartbreaking that desperate people hoping to get houses are crooked out of their hard-earned money just to be made empty promises.
According to a reliable source a fraudulent advertisement has made its rounds on Facebook.
It was not certain yet how many locals had been scammed in this way.
“There is only one way to lawfully receive a subsidy housing opportunity and that is to qualify after registering on the housing needs register,” Pophaim said. “The register is protected, updated and audited. This is necessary to prevent queue jumping and to provide opportunities in a fair, ordered manner.”
He pointed out a few red flags residents can look out for when approached about a housing opportunity:
- Asked to pay to register;
- An opportunity is advertised as an “RDP house”;
- Asked to pay for a subsidised housing opportunity;
- If a BNG house has been built within the past eight years;
- If correspondence does not have a City letterhead.
“It is important that residents are familiar with these and are able to protect themselves. These types of cases happen far too often and often impact the most vulnerable residents.
If residents think they may have been the victim of a housing scam they are encouraged to report it to the police and the City for investigation.
We also encourage residents to update their details on the register to ensure the City can contact them when they do qualify for a housing opportunity,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to visit this link to update their details on the Housing Needs Register: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/HWL2012Online/
Anonymous tip-offs are welcomed to help the City protect its projects and operations, and residents are encouraged to call 0800 1100 77.
