According to the Municipal Housing Sector Plan, all areas within the municipality requires housing which varies in its form from low cost, rural and middle income housing. The UMzimkhulu, Clydesdale and Skoonplaas housing projects are located within the UMzimkhulu primary corridor where there are retail activities and bulk infrastructure. The Mvubukazi and Emfulamuhle are rural projects at the periphery of UMzimkhulu corridor. The Ibisi and Riverside projects are located within the secondary corridors in terms of the current SDF. Below is the map that outlines the spatial location of the projects in the municipal area.
EXISTING AND PLANNED HOUSING PROJECTS
Irrespective of the challenges faced in addressing housing issues, the Municipality with the assistance from The Department of Human Settlement and Department of Social Development has made considerable achievements. The following are the housing projects in different wards:

CURRENT PROJECTS

Riverside Phase 1

The Provincial Department of Human Settlements has completed the top structure for this project, however, currently installing water and sanitation.
There were also administration issues; hence the municipality tendered a notice to expropriate, on the local and national newspapers which closed on 3rd of March 2016. Once the expropriation has been completed the project would be closed as complete.

Operation Sukuma Sakhe Housing Project
This project was identified by the Department of Social Development to provide housing for families who live in houses that the extent of defect be classified as life risk. There is no fixed number of units planned, as the identification of these families is ongoing. A show house has been built at Lourdes. Villages in Ward 6 and 9 have been identified, these include amongst others, Mvubukazi, Chancele, Mambulwini, Ndzelu and Mahawini.

PLANNED PROJECTS

Riverside Phase 2

This project is at an advanced planning phase. It is one on f the projects that were transferred from the Eastern Cape currently implemented by the Provincial Department of Human Settlements. The project commence in the 2012/13 financial year. The following activity is delaying the implementation of this project:
The finalization of the Land Transfer from the Department of Land Reform and Agriculture.
And completion of Riverside phase 1.

Ibisi
This project is also at an advanced project-planning phase. It is made up of 636 of which 560 units had been constructed. These now constitute the list of defective projects that are subject to rectification.

Clydesdale
The original project was made up of a total of 900 subsidies. This project has encountered a number of problems. First, the NHBRC declared the units structurally unsound for human habitation. Second, the allocated sites have been invaded. Consequently, the initial beneficiaries have to be deregistered and then reallocated new sites. Third, the bulk services were not installed. Finally, the disputed ownership of land between the state and the community of Clydesdale and the state has finally been resolved with the ownership transferred to the municipality.
The project is to kick off for installation of water and sanitation, roads and storm-water before the end of 2015/2016 financial year.

Umzimkhulu Extension 5&6
The project is made up of a total of 709 units of which 705 beneficiaries had already been approved. Similar to the other projects that were developed through the People’s Housing Process these units were all found to be structurally defective by the NHRBC. Secondly, there have been encroachments on the sites, which required re-surveying of the sites. The community has conceded to the rectification process that is scheduled to commence in the next financial year.
Service provider is already on site with 62% of water connections done and 26% of sanitation connections done.

Umzimkhulu Extension 9&10 – Slums Clearance
This is a slums clearance project made up of 150 units. The project is to be implemented using the funds that were transferred from the Eastern Cape in 2007.
The feasibility study for this project has been completed and the planning phase is to start during the 2016/2017 FY.

FUTURE PROJECTS

UMzimkhulu Villages
This project constitutes 1850 units that make up rural housing in uMzimkhulu Municipality. The scheduling of these projects is largely informed by the estimated period for the release of land and supply of bulk water. The water schemes have already been constructed in some of the villages.
However, the land for the project area is vested to the Department of Rural Development.