Human Settlements in the 2022/23 Budget

As the South African economy struggles to emerge from the economic and social impact of COVID, we are beginning to see signs of recovery and increased activity in the housing construction and real estate sectors. Furthermore, in the 2022/23 National Budget presented to Parliament on 23 February 2022, the human settlements sector has avoided major cuts despite a tightened fiscus. The housing sector is set to benefit from an additional R583 million in Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) funds this year, in comparison to 2021/22, while the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) has been slightly reduced from last year.

Totaling R103 billion over the medium term, the 2022/23 budget for the National Department of Human Settlements serves as the primary means for government to achieve its goal of integrated, sustainable human settlements. The 2022/23 Budget sees a 7% increase to the Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) and a slight drop in the Urban Settlements Development Grant (USDG) to R7.35 billion. This Focus Note examines the 2022/23 budget of the national department, with a particular focus on transfers to provinces and municipalities for the implementation of critical housing subsidy programmes, and highlights critical points of note for the sector.

Abstract based on source.