Motion To Allow Tenants In Council-Owned Rental Stock To Apply For Indigent Status In Ekurhuleni Passed In Council
Joint Statement by Cllr. Jordan Lotriet — DA PR Councillor in Ekurhuleni; and Cllr. Mary Goby — DA Councillor for Ward 28 in Ekurhuleni
Date: 30 September 2022
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
The Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni tabled a motion before Council, to allow tenants in Council-owned Rental Stock to apply for indigent status. The motion was passed with a few amendments during yesterdays, Ordinary Council sitting.
The DA presented the motion to Council with the intent of highlighting a grey area in our City’s policy and correcting a wrong that has been overlooked and ignored for years.
The reality is, that tenants of rental housing stock require assistance from the municipality, like any other permanent resident of the City, as they too are affected by cost-of-living increases and the effects of economic decline.
The motion aims to provide full alignment between the City of Ekurhuleni’s rental stock and the benefits outlined in the City’s Indigent Policy.
The current practice administratively prevents tenants from applying for indigent status as a result of the cross-subsidisation present in the City’s Rental Housing Programme. We as the DA believe that this is a gross oversight.
Given that the motion was passed yesterday, the next step will be for the Indigent Policy to go through policy review processes to ensure that tenants living in Council-owned rental stock are included in the qualification criteria as the current policy is not clear on their inclusion, nor their exclusion.
Once the policy has been updated, it will then be presented to council for approval, and once the updated policy has been approved, tenants in Council-owned Rental Stock who meet the necessary qualifying criteria will be able to apply to receive the stated benefits of the programme.
We believe that the city has a responsibility to ensure that residents are able to benefit from all relief programmes provided by the City, such as the indigent programme.
By providing indigent status to these residents, the City will restore the dignity of poorer households living in rental stock, and prevent these households from becoming heavily indebted by providing the necessary social relief.
Cllr. Jordan Lotriet
DA PR Councilor in Ekurhuleni
084 305 9180
Cllr. Mary Goby
DA Councillor in Ward 28 Ekurhuleni
0826797109
