By Nangamso Mabindla

Eastern Cape municipalities have issued a challenge to architects to come up with new design concepts for high-density housing in the province.

In an initiative of the Swedish International Development Agency, Buffalo City Municipality and the Nelson Mandela Metropole, architects have been asked to submit proposals for good quality housing that can be built at the R23 000 subsidy price.

Lindelwa Maneli, from Buffalo City's Directorate of Development Planning, said they had submitted the invitation for proposals to the South African Institute of Architecture.

"We would like the architects to come up with a design that would be good quality but at the same affordable and in line with our R23 000 housing subsidy that we receive from the provincial government," Ms Maneli said.

She said that once all the designs had been submitted, they would select the design that would be most suitable for the people of the Eastern Cape.

"We should remember that our people cannot afford expensive houses but, at the same time, the affordable houses they'll receive need to be of good quality," she said. The idea behind the design challenge is to improve housing delivery in the province.

While the two municipalities will jointly select the best design concept, Buffalo City will be the first to build the houses - probably by the end of next year. "We want to set a precedent in South Africa. We will be the first to use these new high-density, affordable houses," Ms Maneli said.