Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...

7. Access to Housing: The Main End Goal of Urban Development Policies
in townships, and this was a particularly effective method of control. Thus, to break with
this image of apartheid and restore dignity to historically disadvantaged populations,
private property was promoted and spread by the government. However, the need for
rental solutions emerged equally for households that cannot afford the upkeep on
their houses, those who have sold their houses and can no longer receive government
subsidies, those who would prefer to rent in locations better suited to their jobs (notably
in the city centres), those who have already received an RDP house in a rural area and
wish to work in cities, and finally all those who are not eligible for the subsidies (mainly
single people and foreigners). Thus, in response to the uniformity of the national housing
policy advocating private property, diverse forms of rental housing have emerged.
Rental solutions have developed spontaneously both in city centres, via organizations
legally recognized by the government, and in outlying areas in the form of cottages in
gardens and backyard shacks (built in backyards in the townships).
Rental Housing: A Difficult Start
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Official organizations, often born from NGOs, were initially very few in number and
their beginnings were uncertain. Indeed, they were small organizations with diverse
initiatives offering experimental rental solutions. Capacities were limited and public
funding nearly inexistent. Numerous institutions went bankrupt, and others had to be
drastically redressed. This was the case with the Cape Town Community Housing
Company (CTCHC), whose entire staff was renewed between 2004 and 2006, and that
must now renovate a large part of the housing stock that it had built. Indeed, the
construction was done too rapidly and without the necessary skills; the buildings
ended up being faulty and fell into disuse.
Social Housing Institutions
Progressively becoming aware of this need for rental solutions, the Department of
Housing wanted to formalize and stabilize existing initiatives, grouping them together
under the denomination of Social Housing Institutions (SHIs). In South Africa, the
expression ‘social housing’ designates rental solutions for households earning more
than 1,500 rand per month (or even 3,500 rand for certain institutions). The Social
Housing Foundation (SHF) was created in 1997 to bring together all social housing
institutions and analyze and document know-how and best practices for the
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities © AFD 2009