To address the housing needs, the Eastern Cape government is now throwing billions at upgrading informal settlements and building new houses.

Human settlements department chief director Suresh Galahitiyawa said plans were afoot to build more houses, adding the government would intervene to ensure the backlog was reduced.

READ | SA scrambles to finalise housing plan for populated areas: 'You can't put a cost on human lives'

In 2016, the municipality had a population 1.46 million after a growth of 6.7% between 2011 and 2016.

The province has allocated R69 million to upgrade 20 informal settlements in the region.

On the issue of title deeds, Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete said money was not a problem but lamented some provinces were not using the funds allocated to them.