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

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8. The Limits of the Government’s Actions than 3,500 rand can in theory become the owner of a small house for free 46 creates several disparities. First, the problem of gap housing, while it has been identified, is having difficulty being resolved. Indeed, households that earn more than 3,500 rand must use their own funds to buy homes (albeit with government assistance now), and can find the situation unfair: they work, earn a living, and are not any better off than the unemployed. They must also sometimes rent a room or apartment, or in other words pay for a small space while others receive houses for free. In addition, there are only a very few alternatives for people earning less than 3,500 rand per month. Some people earning less than 3,500 rand per month are not eligible for the subsidies and therefore can only rent or live in informal housing. The same is true for those who need to be close to centres of economic activity. 8.1.2. A National Sectoral Approach 114 Beyond the flaws in the housing solutions, the fact that integrating urban and poor populations was not conceived as part of the approach to housing is, perhaps, an even more problematic limitation. Given the determination, at the end of apartheid, to provide roofs to all historically disadvantaged populations, the urban developments made today for struggling households are entirely guided by the housing policy. No other national policies address the issue of cities and urban facilities for low-income populations. This is the reason that the Department of Housing revised its policy in 2004 and felt obliged to address the issue of sustainable human settlements rather than merely housing. This led to the drafting of the new housing policy, BNG, that recommends a holistic approach integrating people’s various urban needs. This sectoral vision is still dominant and is detrimental to the successful creation of integrated living spaces. South Africans use the expression “silo mentality” to designate this attitude. Here is a significant example: the new housing subsidy for BNG houses does not include the cost of land 47 and esteems that it is the responsibility of the local and provincial departments in charge of planning to find and cover the cost 46. Becoming a home owner for free is, however, an illusion in the sense that one must then pay for the upkeep on the house and utilities. 47. In the previous subsidy, the percentage to cover the cost of the land was in any case very small and did not allow for the acquisition of land in good locations. Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities © AFD 2009
8. The Limits of the Government’s Actions of land. This sectoral policy leads to a division of tasks and a lack of coordination among the various sectors: education, health, green spaces, the economy, transportation, housing, planning. Functional diversity is therefore difficult to attain in construction projects. It is interesting to note that this housing-based approach is in part due to the history of South Africa but also to the fact that housing is often seen by both the government and the population as a national priority. In 2006, the Ministry of Housing and Cities in France developed a Pacte National pour le Logement (national pact for housing), which bears witness to the importance of housing issues, sometimes tackled independently of the other fields of public action. 8.1.3. Limited Economic Integration For needy populations, one consequence of this housing-based response is the lack of economic integration possibilities on the spatial level. Indeed, with the exception of the buildings renovated in city centres by social housing institutions, the housing solutions offered by the government are located in outlying areas, notably because of the availability of public land in relatively poor locations. Thus, social construction projects are very little diverse socially, and are not really integrated into the urban fabric. Generally speaking, and even though this is changing, the housing actors do not seek locations near job basins or reflect in terms of accessibility and transportation. Given the lack of public transit in South Africa, social housing zones can only be reached by collective taxis, and travel times can be long. This same error was made with the politique des grand ensembles in France. In order to remedy this, several policies were established and several actions taken. When it comes to proximity to job basins, we can cite the Zones Franches Urbaines (ZFUs, urban free zones). They are struggling neighbourhoods that are classified as ZFUs to attract businesses. If a company decides to move to a ZFU, it can receive considerable tax incentives. Another primordial line in the urban renovation policy, currently carried by the Agence Nationale de la Rénovation Urbaine (national urban renovation agency), is transportation and the accessibility of sensitive neighbourhoods. Considerable efforts are underway to makes these neighbourhoods accessible, increase roads, and extend public transit lines (buses, tramways). 115 © AFD 2009 Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities
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Integrating Poor Populations in Sou
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The author Fanny Hervé, an enginee
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Abstract In South Africa, urban dev
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Résumé En Afrique du Sud, les enj
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Contents METHODOLOGY ..............
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Contents CONCLUSION ...............
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Methodology The purpose of this stu
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FOREWORD Public Policies on Housing
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Public Policies on Housing and Urba
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Introduction At the end of aparthei
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PART ONE: An Urban Context Marked b
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An Urban History of South Africa: F
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1. An Urban History of South Africa
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Current Challenges 2 The apartheid
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2. Current Challenges 2.1.2. The Na
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2. Current Challenges However, desp
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2. Current Challenges Progressively
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2. Current Challenges far from the
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2. Current Challenges commutes are
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Urban Development Policies in a Uni
Page 63 and 64: 3. Urban Development Policies in a
Page 69 and 70: PART TWO An Uncertain Determination
Page 71 and 72: Planning as Implemented in South Af
Page 73 and 74: 4. Planning as Implemented in South
Page 81 and 82: The Hindrances to the Effectiveness
Page 83 and 84: 5. The Hindrances to the Effectiven
Page 85 and 86: Paths Toward More Profitable Planni
Page 87 and 88: 6. Paths Toward More Profitable Pla
Page 89 and 90: PART THREE Develop Living Spaces fo
Page 91 and 92: Access to Housing: The Main End Goa
Page 93 and 94: 7. Access to Housing: The Main End
Page 113: The Limits of the Government’s Ac
Page 117 and 118: 8. The Limits of the Government’s
Page 127 and 128: Toward Greater Integration of Publi
Page 129 and 130: 9. Toward Greater Integration of Pu
Page 141 and 142: Conclusion Nearly fifteen years ago
Page 143 and 144: Acronyms and Abbreviations ABM AFD
Page 145 and 146: Acronyms and Abbreviations RZ SACN
Page 147 and 148: Appendices Appendix 1: Interviews I
Page 149 and 150: Appendices • Claire Bénit-Gaffou
Page 151 and 152: Appendices Pretoria • Revelation
Page 153 and 154: Appendices Appendix 3: Map of Johan
Page 155 and 156: Appendices Appendix 5: Map of Ethek
Page 157 and 158: Bibliography Books DU TOIT, J., U.
Page 159 and 160: Bibliography Articles BÉNIT, C. (2
Page 161 and 162: Bibliography REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRI
Page 163 and 164: Publications Les titres de la colle
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Publications No. 23 : Libéralisati
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What is AFD? www.afd.fr Agence Fran
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