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Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) - 2025/26 Financial Year 1.4 Main services %uf0b7 Housing facilitation and emerging contractor development; %uf0b7 Housing project management and quality assurance services; %uf0b7 Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP); %uf0b7 Informal settlements upgraded; %uf0b7 Housing policy, planning and research services; %uf0b7 Consumer education, capacitation, and accreditation of municipalities services; %uf0b7 Housing subsidy administration services; and %uf0b7 Title deeds registration and issuance 1.5 Demands for and expected changes in the services The continued migration of people into urban areas is exacerbating the challenges of growing backlogs and the expansion of informal settlements, placing further strain on the already limited Human Settlement Development Grant. In response, the department will focus on strategic planning and reprioritising resources to effectively tackle these issues. Sustainable and cohesive human settlements rely on robust infrastructure, including dependable public transport, access to clean water and energy, well-planned public spaces, and essential community services such as schools, healthcare, retail outlets, and family-oriented facilities. At its core, the department is committed to promoting the development of vibrant, socially and economically integrated communities, strategically located to ensure easy access to economic opportunities and key social amenities like health and education. Achieving sustainable, integrated human settlements requires a shift in both policy and practice. The department is working to strengthen partnerships through the District Development Model, aiming to provide integrated, multi-sectoral services to communities. Despite this progress, further work is needed to make the Department of Human Settlements and government more responsive to the needs of the people. The department will address this challenge by implementing area-based planning in selected development zones in the coming years. 1.6 The Acts, rules, and regulations The Department's mandate is derived from Section 26 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right of all individuals to access adequate housing. The state is obligated to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to progressively realize this right. Additionally, the Constitution stipulates that no individual may be evicted from their home or have their home demolished without a court order. The mandate of the National Department is further defined by Section 3 of the Housing Act of 1997 (as amended), which assigns responsibility to the National Government, through the Minister, to establish national housing policy. This policy must include norms and standards for housing development and guide the formulation of housing delivery goals at both provincial and, where applicable, local government levels. There are several Acts that have been promulgated to further support the department%u2019s constitutional mandate and these include, among others: %uf0b7 The Housing Act, 107 of 1997 %uf0b7 Prevention of Illegal Eviction from Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, 19 of 1998 %uf0b7 The Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act, 95 of 1998 %uf0b7 The Rental Housing Act, 50 of 1999 as Amended %uf0b7 Social Housing Act, 16 of 2008 %uf0b7 Home Loan and Mortgage Disclosure Act, 63 of 2000 705