Relocation of BHC Minestone tenants looms
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday January 17, 2017 15:33
For years BHC’ s efforts to relocate them hit a snag with tenants pleading for the corporation’s intervention to find a place to move them to as they have stayed in the houses for a long time.
The 50 houses are some of the oldest BHC houses here and they has been outgrown by the times hence the need for the area to be redeveloped.
The majority of the tenants have residing in the location for close to four decades now.
Over the years the city leadership has been complaining about the state of the houses.
The houses are small and crammed with no electricity making the living conditions unbearable especially that they are in the city centre and located near the Central Business District (CBD).
Due to the state of the houses, they are now dubbed ‘Dark City’ in the street lingo.
In an interview with Mmegi, BHC’ s senior estates manager (Northern region), Olefile Segokgo said their plans to demolish the houses and relocate the tenants have intensified because in November 2016 the Department of Lands confirmed that they have recommended their request of land to be allocated to the qualifying tenants.
“We are currently waiting for the department’ s offer and that is when we will be in a position to relocate the tenants and demolish the houses for better developments,” said Segokgo.
In the past, BHC stated that they want to construct modern houses that can be able to accommodate many people.
Segokgo said despite their lease agreement with tenants, they have been looking at other alternatives of helping them in finding another accommodation.
“We tried to relocate them to some of our houses at Gerald Estate but due to their financial status they could not afford the rentals,” said Segokgo.
In the past BHC raised a concern that some of their tenants have long passed away and some people found their way into the houses and currently occupying them without any agreement with the corporation.Segokgo then revealed that they have discovered that the majority of the tenants do not have lease agreements with BHC as they have leased out the houses from the ‘owners’.
The estate manager stated that they will be assisting tenants who have been following their lease agreement, paying their rentals and do not have plots anywhere else.
“Some tenants own plots and homes in the city but have been renting out such houses to other people. We have advised such tenants to move to their homes because we will not give them plots,” said Segokgo.
Segokgo said in the past tenants have pleaded with them (BHC) to help them secure plots and acquire loans through the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA).
“Our negotiations with SHHA under Francistown City Council (FCC) have been progressing very well and the council has agreed to offer the tenants SHHA loans so that they can construct themselves houses,” said Segokgo.
He said in the past they encouraged tenants who own plots in the city to apply for SHHA loans so that they can own homes.