{"id":8379,"date":"2024-11-11T13:19:33","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T11:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpf.org.za\/?p=7690"},"modified":"2024-11-11T13:19:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T11:19:33","slug":"big-boost-for-student-living-quarters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/2024\/11\/11\/big-boost-for-student-living-quarters\/","title":{"rendered":"Big boost for student living quarters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>MEC for human settlements Tasneem Motara cuts the ribbon at 57 on Bok in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, yesterday. It is one of the latest initiatives aimed at alleviating the student accommodation shortage in the city. Picture: Nigel Sibanda<\/em><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>A shortage of affordable student housing remains critical in Gauteng, despite new developments like Doornfontein\u2019s 378 beds.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the number of enrolments continues to surge at institutions of higher learning, shortage of quality and affordable accommodation has become a pressing concern for students.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gauteng MEC for human settlements Tasneem Motara launched 47 units \u2013 translating into 378 beds \u2013 in Doornfontein and Brixton yesterday.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the unveiling of the R83.7 million project, made possible by a contribution from the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF), Motara said demand for student accommodation in Gauteng far exceeded supply.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe must not only continue to build but also innovate and rethink our strategies,\u201d said Motara.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Students benefit from further accommodation<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event marked \u201ca significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to ensuring that our students have access to safe, secure and affordable housing\u201d.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese units are designed, not just for living, but for fostering a community where students can thrive,\u201d she said.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She challenged the GPF to \u201cgo beyond urban areas into our townships\u201d.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On affordability, Motara said it was \u201cin line with the quantum regulated by Nsfas [National Student Financial Aid Scheme], with buildings given an A grade\u201d.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GPF board chair Craig Cornish said thousands of people settled in Gauteng in pursuit of academic and economic opportunities.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe see investing in student accommodation as just as critical as investing in education itself,\u201d said Cornish.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department of higher education and training\u2019s recommended minimum standards regulating student accommodation are: single rooms not be smaller than 9m2 and double rooms not be smaller than 14m2.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rooms must be furnished and fitted \u2013 as per the specifications in the minimum standards for student housing room manual.<\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article was originally published on 18 October 2024 in The Citizen.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MEC for human settlements Tasneem Motara cuts the ribbon at 57 on Bok in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, yesterday. It is one of the latest initiatives aimed at alleviating the student accommodation shortage in the city. Picture: Nigel Sibanda A shortage of affordable student housing remains critical in Gauteng, despite new developments like Doornfontein\u2019s 378 beds. As [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockdeep.co.za\/client-site-dev\/gpf-newdev24\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}