By Nangamso Mabindla
26 February 2008

DUNCAN Village flood victims will receive new homes when Buffalo City Executive Mayor Zintle Peter hands over low cost houses in East London on Wednesday, 27 February.

The Reeston housing project started as a result of the floods in Duncan Village a few years ago. Moved by the plight of the 300 families, the City and the provincial department of housing, local government and traditional affairs signed a memorandum of understanding to accommodate the affected families.

Ondela Mahlangu, the City's general manager for communications and development co-operation, said that the project also aimed to deal with de-densification in the area to combat homelessness.

"Once completed, the project will have 4 500 units developed over a number of years. Tomorrow the mayor will be handing over units that are part of the first stage of the project," she said.

The first stage would consist of 796 units; 300 of these would be handed over to the Duncan Village flood disaster families, who had already been relocated and settled in the area.

"The remaining 496 units will be handed over to those living on the flood plain areas of Duncan Village," Mahlangu added.

In total, the municipality, with the help of the provincial department, will spend over R20-million on stage one of the project.