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

Access to Housing:
The Main End Goal
of Urban Development
Policies
7
Since 1994, the South African government has emphasized the desire to intervene
in favour of disinherited populations and has set up several national programmes to do
so. The primary direction taken has been the provision of decent housing for all
needy populations — that is to say, access to basic utilities (water, electricity, sanitation)
and housing grants. To attain this objective, the government has established an
operational housing provision system that assigns implementation responsibilities to the
provinces and cities. It has made considerable progress in improving the quality of life
for a large number of South Africans. This mechanism is the cornerstone of public efforts
to creating living spaces for all people. The government has built this type of housing
massively and repeatedly on plots of land far from city centres. In light of the limits that
have been reached and new challenges — the growth of informal housing, rising social
disparities, and the effects of globalization — this policy is evolving. The various stages
in the production of social housing settlements currently underway are the search for
land, the installation of utilities networks, and the construction of housing and public
facilities.
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7.1. Land Management
In order to take operational steps and build homes for South Africans unable to do
so themselves, the first requirement is to select and reserve plots of land.
© AFD 2009 Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities