Fraudulent housing scams in which citizens are requested to pay for government housing assistance are rife in Cape Town.
The provincial Human Settlements Department last week urged residents to be very careful not to become victims of these scams.
“From the information it appears that most of the scams are within the Cape Town region and include Bloekombos and Wallacedene and other areas that have new or existing government housing,” departmental spokesperson Muneera Allie said to TygerBurger.
Acting head of the department Phila Mayisela says such fraudulent scams have increasingly been reported and appears on different platforms, particularly online, requesting citizens to either pay a deposit or holding fee for a government house; to pay to be approved for a government housing opportunity; or to pay for the processing of an application for example.
In actual fact no payment is required to be placed on the housing waiting list or to apply for a housing subsidy.
“Growing complaints of fraudulent sales of government subsidised houses are also received. With regard to the sale of any house, it is important to note and request a copy of the title deed from the seller, or some form of proof that the house up for sale is in fact legally owned by the seller. Without such proof, it is not advisable to exchange any money or proceed with any sale.
“In many instances, vulnerable residents fall prey to these scams in the hope of being assisted, or bumped up on the waiting list, for a government housing opportunity. In most cases, money exchanged due to fraudulent scams is not recovered,” says Mayisela.
It is challenging though to ascertain exactly where and how these scams emanate.
“The department is therefore working to increase awareness of these scams, particularly within the province’s vulnerable communities.”
To be considered for a government housing opportunity, citizens need to be registered on the housing database at their local municipality.
To register, residents can either visit their nearest municipal housing office, or apply online via the Western Cape Government Application.
To qualify for a government subsidised house, residents need to be a South African citizen or have permanent residency; be older than 18 years; be married or living with a partner; be single or divorced and have proven financial dependents living with you; earn a household income of R3 500 or less, before deductions; not be current or previous property owners; and not have received a housing subsidy from the government before.
The department also has various subsidies available to assist residents earning between R3 500 and R22 000 gross monthly household income.
