What can I do if I earn too much for an RDP but not enough to qualify for a home loan?

The long answer

The objective of the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) is to help qualifying beneficiaries in the gap market to access adequate affordable housing. The FLISP subsidy can be used either with home loans or with the applicant’s own resources.

To qualify for FLISP, the total household income must be between R3,501 and R22,000 per month.

The FLISP subsidy range is R30,001 to R130,505 as of 1 April 2022. The subsidy amount is inversely related to the household income. In other words, the lower your total household monthly income, the greater your FLISP subsidy will be.

FLISP  may be used for the following purposes:

• Buy an existing home—secondary market;
• Buy a new home in a new development;
• Buy a vacant serviced residential stand;
• Build a new home; or
• Build a home on a tribal land available through permission to occupy.

The Department of Human Settlements (DHS) approved the Revised FLISP Policy in February 2022, which for the first time allows FLISP to be implemented with other housing finance products, in addition to mortgage finance.

From the 2022/23 financial year, FLISP will, in addition to mortgage finance, be implemented with the following non-mortgage housing finance products:

• Pension and provident-backed housing loans;
• Housing loans offered or supported by cooperatives or community-based organisations schemes;
• Housing loans supported by Employer Assistance Housing Schemes (such as the Government Employee Housing Scheme and other private sector schemes);
• Unsecured housing loans (such as housing microfinance or incremental housing loans) offered by NCR registered lenders;
• Instalment sale agreements;
• Rent-to-own agreements.

For the first time since the inception of FLISP, households in rural areas will now be able to access FLISP when they build their homes using, for example, unsecured incremental housing loans or pension-backed loans.

Normally, a FLISP applicant should apply for a housing loan from a lender before applying for FLISP. However, in some circumstances, applicants may choose to be pre-approved for FLISP before they apply for a home loan.

When applying for FLISP and depending on a household situation, a certified copy of each of the following documents is required (where applicable):

• Smart Card or a barcoded identity document of every adult member of the household;
• Birth certificates bearing the 13-digit identity number for every child member of the household that does not have a barcoded identity document;
• Proof of South African citizenship;
• Marriage certificate for any union solemnised in terms of civil law;
• Affidavit for any union solemnised in terms of customary law;
• Divorce settlement agreement to prove custodianship;
• Court order or order issued by the Commissioner of Child Welfare to prove guardianship;
• Proof of sources of income.

You can apply for FLISP online: https://www.nhfc.co.za/finance-solutions/finance-linked-individual-subsidy-finance-flisp/.

For applicants who may have further questions on FLISP, please send an email to: Flispenquiries@nhfc.co.za or contact our Call Centre Consultant on Tel No. 010 085 2199.

Wishing you the best,
GroundUp