Elsies River is getting a facelift worth R15 million.
The City of Cape Town has been hard at work in improving a total of 116 blocks of flats in the Elsies River area, through waterproofing, painting and other external structural work.
Done under the Human Settlements Directorate’s new Asset Management Implementation Programme, the project started in August and should be finished by the end of this year.
According to the City, the Adriaanse, Clarke Estate, Leonsdale, Belvienie, Nooitgedacht and Avon areas were refurbished and since the project’s inception, a total of 44 blocks have been upgraded.
The project created 90 local jobs and more were expected as the project is fully rolled out.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen, said the upgrade was necessary because the buildings were old.
She said they had drawn up a ranking in which “repairs and maintenance are of a critical nature, among which waterproofing and ensuring that walls are safe”.
But more repairs could be done if rent was paid.
“We have an inadequate budget to effect all of the major upgrades required for the stock on our books. It would amount to tens of billions of rand,” added Van Minnen.
“Ideally if we could receive a 100 percent rental income, we could do more maintenance.”