The National Rental Housing Strategy Community ... - SALGA

The National Rental Housing StrategySocial HousingCommunity Residential UnitsThe National Rental Housing Strategy is publishedin 2007 to provide a framework for rentalhousing. The objectives of the Strategy are togear rental housing provision to scale, and toaddress affordability and access for lower incomegroups to rental housing.The Social Housing ActThe Social Housing Act entered into force in November2008. The act was developed to constructa legal framework for Social Housing. TheAct prescribes the roles and responsibilities forthe different stakeholders within the process towardsimplementation of Social Housing projects.The Community Residential Units (CRU) programmeis the successor of the National HostelRedevelopment programme. The CRU programmetargets low income persons and householdsearning below R3500 per month who arenot able to be accommodated in the formalprivate rental and social housing market. Theprogramme seeks to bridge the gap betweensocial housing and lower markets.The Strategy stipulates the road towards ahealthy rental housing market. The main componentsof the Strategy are the Social Housingprogramme and Community Residential Unitsprogramme. Its target is to deliver 75 000 SocialHousing units and 25 000 CommunityResidential Units between 2007 / 2008 and2012 / 2013.Social Housing Regulatory AuthorityAn important element of the Social Housing Actis the establishment of the Social HousingRegulatory Authority (SHRA). The SHRA will bethe regulator of the Social Housing sector.The SHRA is founded to distribute social housingsubsidies such as the Social Housing RestructuringCapital Grant and different supportivegrants.Moreover, the SHRA accredits and monitors SocialHousing Institutions and provides adviceand support to Social Housing Institutions.The CRU programme will provide a subsidy forthe total capital costs of project developmentand a once-off maintenance grant after fiveyears. The subsidy will be based on standarddevelopment costs, taking different elementsof the property into account. The programmewill not provide funding for land.

The role of SALGASALGA supports municipalities in the field of rentalhousing through the provision of tools and sharingof information with municipalities regarding. Furthermore,through advocacy and lobbying SALGAdelivers input in the policymaking process.SALGA developed a Social Housing Toolkit tosupport municipalities in the development of theirown Social Housing policy. The Toolkit is a detailedguide that offers information on Social Housingand provides a framework for a municipalSocial Housing policy.More recently, SALGA developed a brochure onrental housing. The brochure informs municipalitiesabout the different Rental Housing options andexplains the Rental Housing decision making process.Moreover, SALGA organized, in cooperation withthe National Department of Housing, Rental HousingRoad Shows. The Road Shows have beenheld in provinces throughout the country in the beginningof 2009 and informed municipal and provincialofficials and councillors about the differentRental Housing options. Discussions with the officialsconcerning challenges in the field of RentalHousing were an important element of the RoadShows.Furthermore, SALGA delivers input in policy andlegislative processes. One example is The SocialHousing Act that has been influenced by SALGAthrough advocacy and lobbying.As a result of the efforts of SALGA and other roleplayers, such as the National Department of Housingand the Social Housing Foundation, RentalHousing has found its place on the agendas oflocal governments and Rental Housing projectshave been implemented.Rental Housing UpdateRental Housing is an important part of the housingsector. Although Rental Housing is a relativelysmall segment in the housing sector, it can be ofsignificant importance to municipalities. RentalHousing can attract certain qualified people a municipalityneeds, such as teachers or nurses.SALGA would like to bring Rental Housing toyour attention, and inform you about the followingrecent important developments in the field ofRental Housing: The Social Housing Act The Social Housing Regulatory Authority The Community Residential Units Programme SALGA’s roleBasic Rental Formula:On a regular basis SALGA sends out a RentalHousing newsletter. The newsletter informs municipalitiesabout the latest developments withinthe field of Rental Housing.SALGA83 Lois AvenueMenlynPretoriaFor more information, please contact:P O Box 2094Pretoria0001Phone: 012 369 8132Fax: 012 369 8001E-mail: hschokker@salga.org.zaWeb: www.salga.org.zaTenant Pays RenttoOccupyaUnit