Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
Integrating Poor Populations in South African Cities - Agence ...
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7. Access to Hous<strong>in</strong>g: The Ma<strong>in</strong> End Goal of Urban Development Policies<br />
consideration of all <strong>in</strong>habitants’ needs, and social diversity. On the operational front, BNG<br />
seeks to improve and diversify exist<strong>in</strong>g tools. It is important to note that hous<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is under the jurisdiction of the prov<strong>in</strong>ces and this has not changed s<strong>in</strong>ce 1994.<br />
Indeed, under the Constitution, the most major hous<strong>in</strong>g responsibilities are assigned<br />
to the prov<strong>in</strong>cial governments. The National Department of Hous<strong>in</strong>g sets policy, amounts<br />
and subsidy allocation conditions; the prov<strong>in</strong>ces receive all of the funds allocated to<br />
hous<strong>in</strong>g and then distribute the subsidies accord<strong>in</strong>g to the projects they approve.<br />
Here is a table of the primary <strong>in</strong>struments elaborated by the Department of Hous<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to allow struggl<strong>in</strong>g populations to house themselves. Each is discussed <strong>in</strong> greater<br />
detail below.<br />
Table 2.<br />
The Different Types of Hous<strong>in</strong>g Offered by the Government<br />
Product Name<br />
RDP/BNG Houses<br />
People's Hous<strong>in</strong>g Process (PHP)<br />
Credit-L<strong>in</strong>ked and Bonded<br />
Houses<br />
Social Hous<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Description<br />
Houses given to households earn<strong>in</strong>g less than 3,500 rand<br />
Improved hous<strong>in</strong>g and self-promotion grant for poor communities<br />
Houses obta<strong>in</strong>ed via loans with (credit-l<strong>in</strong>ked houses) or without (bonded houses)<br />
additional public f<strong>in</strong>ancial assistance<br />
Social rental hous<strong>in</strong>g for households earn<strong>in</strong>g between 1,500 and 7,500 rand<br />
per month<br />
7.4.1. Distribution of S<strong>in</strong>gle-Family Homes<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce 1994, the free distribution of houses has been, and is largely still today, the<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>cipal element <strong>in</strong> the government’s efforts to accommodate needy populations.<br />
These houses are fully subsidized by the government. They were formerly called RDP<br />
houses <strong>in</strong> reference to the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and are<br />
now called BNG houses after the new hous<strong>in</strong>g policy. This programme, often called a<br />
hous<strong>in</strong>g delivery programme, targets households earn<strong>in</strong>g between 0 and 3,500 rand<br />
per month. <strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong> households that meet this <strong>in</strong>come criteria are eligible for the<br />
subsidy 39 and can, with<strong>in</strong> the limit of available houses, become the owners of small<br />
homes. These houses are built by private promoters that use the subsidies <strong>in</strong>directly<br />
97<br />
39. The most frequent is the project-l<strong>in</strong>ked subsidy, which allows households to acquire subsidized houses as<br />
part of large-scale construction projects.<br />
© AFD 2009 <strong>Integrat<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>Poor</strong> <strong>Populations</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong> <strong>Cities</strong>