Helping Domestic Worker get a house

[Johand]

We are a group of friends who share a domestic worker. We are all concerned about her welfare and it seems like the best thing we can do is to get her out of a shack in a proper house. Did anybody on the forum do this before?

Apparently she earns too much for an RDP house (slightly ridiculous) and maybe even for a subsidy - I am not sure that the Department of Human Settlements / law really take into account regional cost of living differences. So she gets more than R3,500 a month from 5 different employers. But she stays in shack and she can't afford a house.

So I have many questions - and the internet seems very vague on it. For example - where is the best low cost housing in Cape Town for domestic workers? What does a house cost? What are the real subsidy options? Would employers have to sign surety?

We also want to save up some money for it before we start the process. We need to ensure that all the different employers are really on board with it. What would be the best way to save money for her, but have it allocated to a specific purpose? (I am worried her "family" will try and get the money if we just save it directly in her name).

Also - if she has to take a loan - what would be the best way for her to ensure a good record with the bank? Do I maybe have to employ her full-time, give her a single payslip and ensure all her administration is in order? Then I can collect the money from her other employers - strictly control *paid* vacation and sick-leave (a lot of people sometimes think - no-show, no-pay which is frankly ridiculous), UIF etc. Or will that make me a labour broker with all the nasty implications?

Is there any agency in South Africa (especially Cape Town) who can assist people?

 

[tRoN]

Why are you underpaying her?
If you care for her you will increase her salary to a living wage so that she can afford better things in life.

 

[Viva]

Why are you underpaying her?
If you care for her you will increase her salary to a living wage so that she can afford better things in life.

He did not say he is underpaying her..

Anyway, OP wants to do much more than give her more money, he wants to help her to really get on her feet. Poor people often can't get out of the cycle of poverty, even when they earn enough money, because making smart financial choices is not that easy.

So in my opinion, what she probably needs is someone who can help her manage the money she earns fairly, instead of just giving her more money to figure it out on her own.

 

[Johand]

Why are you underpaying her?
If you care for her you will increase her salary to a living wage so that she can afford better things in life.

Wow - I am actually a bit shocked. But I assume you are trolling or haven't read my post. I never said how much I paid her. Only that we pay her more than the cut-off for a housing subsidy. And that we will put a deposit on the home. Not exactly sure how you got to the point where I am underpaying her.

Buying a house is a stretch for most people - she is a single mother that have to support her kids. Because of the informal nature of her employment she doesn't have a pension. I am not sure if her other employers pay UIF (I do). We are trying to do the thing that will most benefit her. We will never save enough money for her for a pension(she is in her fifties already) but if she has a house I do believe that her future will be more secure.

 

[Brawler]

No useful advice here but good on you for this initiative

 

[NiTeD]

There's a definitely a subsidy for people in her situation, I think the upper limit is R7k/pm. Find out what areas are being developed from CoCT or the westerncape.gov.za site, there's quite a few options for her. My suggestion would be to buy a serviced stand for say R20 000 and build her the house there. At least she can sell the place at higher value when she retires rather than put her in the government sponsored slums.

 

[NiTeD]

There's a free house plan drawn by one of the professional bodies in the country, I just can't remember which one, but I'll post a link as soon I find it.

 

[Lycanthrope]

We are a group of friends who share a domestic worker. We are all concerned about her welfare and it seems like the best thing we can do is to get her out of a shack in a proper house. Did anybody on the forum do this before?

Apparently she earns too much for an RDP house (slightly ridiculous) and maybe even for a subsidy - I am not sure that the Department of Human Settlements / law really take into account regional cost of living differences. So she gets more than R3,500 a month from 5 different employers. But she stays in shack and she can't afford a house.

So I have many questions - and the internet seems very vague on it. For example - where is the best low cost housing in Cape Town for domestic workers? What does a house cost? What are the real subsidy options? Would employers have to sign surety?

We also want to save up some money for it before we start the process. We need to ensure that all the different employers are really on board with it. What would be the best way to save money for her, but have it allocated to a specific purpose? (I am worried her "family" will try and get the money if we just save it directly in her name).

Also - if she has to take a loan - what would be the best way for her to ensure a good record with the bank? Do I maybe have to employ her full-time, give her a single payslip and ensure all her administration is in order? Then I can collect the money from her other employers - strictly control *paid* vacation and sick-leave (a lot of people sometimes think - no-show, no-pay which is frankly ridiculous), UIF etc. Or will that make me a labour broker with all the nasty implications?

Is there any agency in South Africa (especially Cape Town) who can assist people?

You, sir, deserve a medal.

Please keep us informed!

 

[Picard]

Would you please also help me to get a house.

 

[Kloofvreter]

I've seen this a few times. They end up getting help to get a house, and then rent out the house and go back into a shack. Oh well, their choice, I suppose.

 

[Johand]

You, sir, deserve a medal.

Please keep us informed!

Hold your horses. Let me just get it done - talk is cheap I don't want another repeat of the Obama Peace Prize fiasco! It might take a couple of months to get enough money together.

Would you please also help me to get a house.

How good are you with ironing, washing dishes and scrubbing floors?

I've seen this a few times. They end up getting help to get a house, and then rent out the house and go back into a shack. Oh well, their choice, I suppose.

The most important thing about empowerment is actually that they can make their own choices. Of course while we are helping to pay for the house we don't want to see it sold the rest is up to her. Up to a degree renting it out (partially or wholly) might be a good idea when she retires. It will be virtually impossible for her to save up a pension which can give her that type of income without eroding the capital.

 

[The_Ogre]

Where is she currently staying? Perhaps demolish her current shack and build a brick and mortar house?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

@OP I'm in the exact same situation. Our solution was to invest in her future which is her youngest son. While she will most likely not be able to buy her own home, by helping her son complete school and steer him in the right direction, we hope that he will be able to do this for her.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Both of you guys deserve medals.

As much as I would like to help my domestic, I'm just too cash strapped at the moment to help.

 

[^^vampire^^]

Enjoy watching the house get ruined by the 27 people she rents it to for R10 a week while she stays in her shack.
Another thing you need to consider is if you can't afford to buy a home you can't afford to maintain a home - it will fall to pieces. you can't just give someone something, you need to educate them on all aspects of ownership.

Also I'm sure the children will thank you for investing in their future by burning down the school in protest because the whites still own everything and only white people have jobs etc, although at that stage the pass mark will be 1% so they don't really need the school anyway.

Nice of you to try help though, it is commendable.

 

[Celine]

my friend and myself did this for our maid way back in the beginning of the 1990's. the problem is what materials they purchase with the money you provide for them.

we took out a loan from the bank and had everything approved etc and our maid decided, against our advise, to build the house out of sand instead of concrete and brick. over the years the house deteriorated and now she no longer has a house. the thing has been destroyed from all the rain etc.

now she is wanting us to subsidise her to rebuild the house. we have told her absolutely not because she had the funds to begin with and she chose not to take our advise.

 

[Lycanthrope]

...to build the house out of sand...

I'd love to see this. Any photos of it?

It's just, I've never heard of a house being made of out sand. I can't imagine how anyone would think that's a good idea :wtf:

What did she get out of doing so? More money? Or more space?

 

[Pooky]

I'd love to see this. Any photos of it?

It's just, I've never heard of a house being made of out sand. I can't imagine how anyone would think that's a good idea :wtf:

What did she get out of doing so? More money? Or more space?

This was the architect's miniature model of her house:



Seashells make for an excellent runoff system.
Unfortunately, when the tide comes in there's not much you can do.

 

[Lycanthrope]

hahahaha... Aw, shame

 

[Kloofvreter]

we took out a loan from the bank and had everything approved etc and our maid decided, against our advise, to build the house out of sand instead of concrete and brick. over the years the house deteriorated and now she no longer has a house. the thing has been destroyed from all the rain etc.

Some types of stupid has no cure.