Department spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene recently said the hostels would be converted to apartments and blocks of flats to provide affordable rental housing.
He said that in KwaQuqa near Emalahleni (formerly Witbank) construction had already begun on 150 hostels which were being converted into flats. They will be completed by the end of April next year.
In Sakhile near Standerton, storm water drains, roads, and water and sewer systems are being built ahead of the 140 hostels being turned into flats.
The department also plans to convert 150 hostels in Mzinoni near Bethal this year. Last year, 210 hostels were converted into flats in Mndeni township near Ermelo.
Meanwhile, consultants have been appointed to design and convert three hostels into flats in Mashishing township outside Mashishing (formerly Lydenburg), Emgwenya near Waterval Boven and Emthonjeni near Machadodorp in before the end of 2010.
The department built 12,320 low-cost houses last year, exceeding their target of 8,583 units for the 2007/08 financial year.
No new low-cost housing projects will be started this year to allow the department to complete 10,436 houses that were abandoned by shoddy contractors.
The department is also addressing the problem of poor quality houses built during the apartheid years before 1994.
An amount of R2,4m has been set aside to assess such houses in the Umjindi, Emalahleni, Steve Tshwete and Lekwa municipalities, after which a costing will be done so they can be upgraded next year.
The department will also build 1,677 houses this year through the People's Housing Process at a cost of R72,1m and 500 through the Rural Housing Programme at a cost of R23m.
The People's Housing Process encourages people to help build their own homes by establishing housing cooperatives. The government provides subsidies for the houses, while other organisations offer technical, financial, logistical and administrative help.
The Rural Housing Programme seeks to provide shelter for rural dwellers and enables rural women to own houses in their own names. - Thandy Ndlovu, BuaNews
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