Homelessness is a menace and a big issue in different parts of the world. Hence, it is expedient of governments to take proactive measures towards eradicating homelessness as much as possible in their various climes. In South Africa, one of the things the South African government has been trying to do is the availability of RDP houses.
These houses are for certain types of people in the society, and not for everyone. Who qualifies for RDP house in South Africa? Only people who can prove that they meet the requirements attached to the initiative – usually the vulnerable of the society.
Who Qualifies For RDP House In South Africa?
You can apply for an RDP house in South Africa if you are:
1. A citizen of South Africa with necessary proof
2. Above age 21 and mentally enabled to sign a contract
3. Married or living with a partner; or even single and have dependants
4. Single military veterans can apply without dependents
5. Aged people can apply even without dependents
6. Earn nothing more than R3,500 each month per household
7. A first-time government subsidy recipient
8. A first-time homeowner
Finally, anyone with a disability will likely be given preferential treatments. In fact, the house they will be given will likely be designed to meet their needs.
We should also add here that you are to make application in person at a provincial office of the Department of Human Settlement, or your municipal offices. The individual has to go there with these documents:
1. Their identity documents and that of their spouse (green book or ID card)
2. Certified copies of birth certificates of children, if any
3. Proof of income if working, like payslip (in the absence of payslips, they can use their letter of employment)
Right there at the office, the officials will give you a form (a housing subsidy application form) to fill when you tell them the reason for your visit. After that, it is likely that you will get registered on the National Housing Needs Register (also depending on your municipality, you may be registered your Municipal Housing Demands Database).
Now, after the registration, does it mean you will instantly get a house? No. The list is simply a waiting list, and you must be ready to exercise patience. This is because it will take the government a lot of years to wrap up the project before they can hand over the keys to the RDP houses to successfully applicants.
So, these are the people who qualifies for an RDP house in South Africa. As you can see, it is not for everyone, and not everybody can even apply in the first place. It is majorly targeted at the vulnerable in the society. Those who will likely find it difficult or impossible to get a house elsewhere without a structure of this sort in place. Therefore, if you don’t qualify, then don’t bother applying in the first place
How Do I Know If I Qualify For A RDP House?
To make things easier for you, take note of the following:
1. If you are a South African citizen
2. You are above 21 and you can sign a contract
3. You are married and living with a spouse
4. Or, you are single but have dependents
5. You can also apply if you are an aged person with no dependents (or a person with disability)
6. You are not earning above R3,500 each month in your household
7. You must be a first-time government subsidy recipient and a first-time homeowner
If you are qualified for the house, you should simply go to a provincial office of the Department of Human Settlement close to you, or even your municipal offices. This is where you are to submit your application in person, using documents like:
1. Identity documents (green book or ID card) belonging to you and your spouse
2. Certified copies of birth certificates of your children
3. Your proof of income if you are working (payslips or letter of employment)
If you are not qualified for the RDP house, you should not bother to apply so you won’t be wasting time and other resources. This is because, the government want to ensure it only get into the hands of those that really needs it.
If you don’t fall into the boundaries of the requirements they have drawn, it means you are not part of the clique of vulnerable people they are aiming at. Don’t forget, these vulnerable people are folks who may not be able to get a house again without this initiative. Therefore, it is important that the RDP houses gets to only those who really needs them.
How Much Must You Earn To Qualify For RDP House?
According to the requirements, you must earn nothing more than R3,500 per month per household. If you earn above that, it means you are not qualified for an RDP house in South Africa.
We should place a bit emphasis on the fact that this requirement is for a household, and not merely individuals. This means that if you are earning, let’s say R2,500 per month, and your spouse is earning R1,500, you are not qualified for the house. Why? Simply because, your total household earnings per month in this case is R4,000. This is above the mark set by the government – R3,5000.
Therefore, while factoring your monthly salary, it is necessary that you should not simply look at what you are earning alone, what also add what others in your household are earning, so you can determine if you are above. If your household monthly income is above R3,500, you are not qualified to apply for the RDP house in South Africa.
In Conclusion
The straightforward answer to the question who qualifies for RDP house in South Africa is that these houses are meant for vulnerable folks in the country, and the requirements were drawn to select them across South Africa.