Canaan Mdletshe

Minister of Housing Lindiwe Sisulu has hailed the newly launched Housing Development Agency, saying it will not merely help address the weaknesses identified in the housing delivery chain but will protect gains made since 2004.

Addressing housing MECs and other stakeholders in Durban on Monday night during the launch, Sisulu said it would help solve the housing and human settlement problems currently besetting the country.

Sisulu said the agency will ensure that the State has the administrative, institutional and technical capacity to own and manage land for housing purposes. The agency will provide a variety of housing options and facilitate access to social amenities and economic opportunities to the poor.

"We are faced with problems of human settlements which require bold and imaginative solutions," Sisulu added.