Imizi Housing is best known for welcoming and affording tenants a sense of belonging, warmth and empowerment. The Community Development Department is no exception to this. Its establishment is rooted around a culturally inclusive and a non-biased vision. Our Community Development Department is about initiating tenant led, sustainable “community work programmes”, building a sense of community, cohesion and creating a harmonious living environment.

OBJECTIVES OF IMIZI HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Imizi Housing has identified the following objectives that are critical to the community development process:

1. To implement and facilitate community driven interaction and community development projects;

2. To empower residents through workshops and training in the different community development themes;

3. To conduct research, create policies and procedures for the community development programme;

4. To liaise with national, regional and local resource partners in the community development sphere;

5. To promote and publicise the Imizi Housing community development programme as a centre of excellence for social housing in South Africa.

Our Sustainable and Individual Programmes include: 

1. Sports and Recreation

2. Education

3. Health

4. Economic Development

5. Environment

6. Neighbourhood Development

7. Child and Youth Work

Our focus areas are:

1. Psycho-social support (includes individual counselling and group work intervention)

2. Health and Wellness support (a general practitioner conducts health and wellness assessments with the tenants, this includes: BMI, Blood pressure assessment, glucose and HIV testing. CANSA conducts breast examinations and SANBS does blood drives).

3. Linking tenants with government structures such as the Department of Social Development, SASSA (South African Social Security Agency), Department of Health, Department of Education and Non-Government Organisations in Port Elizabeth.