Victoria Falls takes applications for unserviced residential stands

VICTORIA Falls City Council has started receiving applications from home seekers who are on its housing waiting list for vetting ahead of the release of unserviced residential stands.

In 2018, the city’s housing backlog was 15 000 and indications are that the number could have ballooned to 20 000.

This is against the national housing backlog of more than 1,2 million. Victoria Falls City Council plans to roll out the Kazungula Housing Scheme whose approach is the “beneficiary pays model.”

On Tuesday, about 5 000 home seekers collected application forms against a possible 400 stands the local authority intends to allocate.

Victoria Falls attained city status in 2019 and since then the demand for housing has been on the increase.

In May last year, the local authority tried to sell the 400 housing stands to home seekers who were on its waiting list but the process was marred by chaos forcing the local authority to shelve the exercise.

Residents claimed that the council had not consulted them and they feared that ordinary home seekers were going to be prejudiced.

The Victoria Falls Watchdog, a civic organisation that was formed early last year, approached the High Court seeking an order interdicting the council from selling the stands.

This was after the council had advertised inviting home seekers to visit its offices for vetting with those on the waiting list expected to pay a US$3 000 deposit for high-density and US$5 000 for medium-density stands.

Thousands of residents thronged the city council offices, some spending the night in the queue while others travelled from other towns and cities.

The council management later engaged all concerned stakeholders and it is now proceeding with the sale with no home seeker expected to queue as they are only collecting forms which they complete and deposit at the council offices including an application letter, waiting list number, identity documents and payslip or bank statement where necessary.

On Monday and Tuesday there were however, long winding queues as home seekers jostled to collect forms and to update their waiting list including dropping the required documents.

After submitting the forms, successful home seekers will be invited for further processes.

The Kazungula Housing Scheme will be financed through the beneficiary pay model, where home seekers will pay deposits which the council will use to service the stands.

Payment for the stands will be spread over 12 months after payment of an initial deposit.

Preference will be given to first-time home seekers who have been on the waiting list by December 31, 2020.

The deadline for submission of forms is tomorrow.

“Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 152 of the Urban Councils Act, Chapter 29:15 that the City of Victoria Falls intends to develop its high and medium densities Kazungula Residential Scheme to be financed through the beneficiary pay model,” said the Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube in a statement.

“Beneficiaries will be required to pay a minimum deposit of US$3 000 for high density and US$5 000 for medium density as deposit. The remaining balance shall be payable over a period of 12 months.”

Mr Dube said the council maintains its vetting criteria requiring applicants to have been on the waiting list by December 31, 2020.

“Preference will be given to first time home seekers when the vetting process begins. The council set up some boxes where home seekers are dropping applications and no one is expected to queue as the outcome of their application will be communicated in due course,” he said.

No objection had been sent to council against the process and last Monday was deadline for lodging objections.