CHAPTER 7: SOCIAL HOUSING AND THE CREATION OF SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS
7.4 Social housing in South Africa
7.4.2 The evolution of social housing in South Africa in line with housing policy policy
(2002) and other analysts such as Khan (2003) affirm that the 1994, post Apartheid housing policy gave priority to the ownership option over the rental option. Surely, the government considered housing as an end instead of conceiving it as a means which should help to achieve other goals such as households' happiness or the alleviation of poverty (King et ai, 2003 cited in Osbone, 2005). This understanding of housing as an end has led to the failure to offer to households many housing options in practice to access adequate housing as it is defined in the 1994 Housing White Paper.
Besides, the 1994 South African housing policy omitted to include in its programme the housing need of middle income households. Consequently, middle income groups were neither eligible for the government public housing programme, nor for bank credit.
There were not enough housing solutions for this income bracket like for low-income and high income groups. The voluntary or involuntary omission of middle income groups in the post Apartheid housing policy was a serious obstacle to an inclusive and integrated solution to the housing need of all income groups and compromised the socio-economic and spatial restructuring of the South African landscape. The rental housing sector, including social housing became an area of close attention from the policy over the last few years.
Although SUbstantial shifts operated in the housing sector, BNG is not to be considered as a post Apartheid housing policy (Department of Housing, 2004). It is merely a post Apartheid plan or vision which aims to revitalise the development of sustainable human settlement in promoting urban integration, socio-economic development and the regeneration of the urban infrastructure and environment (DoH, 2004). As one of the modes of housing production, social housing starts to emerge in South Africa from the adoption of the BNG by the Department of Housing. The SHF which has among the objectives to provide capacity building and technical support to social housing institutions and local governments assigns among objectives to social housing, the regeneration of inner cities, the development of well located land, and the accommodation of higher density development. Besides, given the underdevelopment of the rental housing sector in South Africa, social housing also intends to address the increasing demand for rental housing, especially in urban areas and widen the range of housing options available to the poor (DoH, 2003). In addition, social housing appears as one of the housing solutions for middle income groups who were disregarded during the first ten years of housing delivery. With its good location, particularly in relation to access to economic and other urban opportunities and facilities, social housing is a significant tool to promote economic, social and cultural sustainability in South Africa.
Developed in cities which are, according to UNCHS Habitat (1996), an engine of development, social housing may be primarily seen as an urban housing delivery option.
Compared to the low-cost housing project which raises major issues about social and environmental sustainability (Goebel, 2007), social housing supports the economic, social and cultural development of low-income communities as it is close to job opportunities, markets and transport. In addition, it fosters job opportunities to emerging entrepreneurs in the housing services and construction industries (DoH, 2003). Furthermore, social housing utilises high density housing which presents as advantage a rational use of land and infrastructure integration into existing areas. Urban land is central to economic and social housing development.
As it has been developing in the heart of urban environment, social housing offers to its residents the possibility to use urban facilities to undertake survival activities such as trading. More importantly, in promoting high density housing and rational utilisation of land, social housing is a factor contributing to the quality living environment and social integration in South Africa. In this sense, social housing may be used to promote compact city, which according to Todes (2003) is an effective way to restructure South Africa's cities which remain fragmented and unequal (Harrison et ai, 2003).
The regeneration of inner city is one of the roles attributed to social housing in South Africa. It is achieved through design and the delivery of quality housing. Design constitutes an integral part of social housing and quality housing creates a quality living environment. The design of social housing should not only be limited to an architectural perspective but, it should also include residents of social housing's views. This is one of the challenges that contemporary planning must address when designing social housing. According to Friedman (1998) effective planning activities should include the views of the people who should benefit from planning activities. Alongside the planning issue which social housing must addressed, the issue of urbanisation should be raised as well. In fact, cities where social housing has been developing attract people from rural areas for multiple reasons. This means that design of social housing should include the issue of urbanisation in for example designing social housing units for migrants who live temporarily in cities before returning to their living space.
From the architectural point of view, alongside the creation of a beautiful living environment, social housing can support social sustainability of its residents if it
prevents some levels of crime through design. From residents' perspective, the design of social housing can promote economic sustainability of its inhabitants, particularly poor households if it creates a trading area or a space which supports small businesses and allows low-income households to undertake economic activities in order to improve their living conditions (Tonkin, 2006). These two aspects of design should go hand in hand in the promotion of urban regeneration because the omission of one of them can negatively impact on the creation of sustainability. Therefore, the private sector may be reluctant to invest and as a result, social housing will fail to contribute to the creation of jobs.
Regarding the perspective of residents of social housing, it is believed that the purpose of urban regeneration is for the improvement of poor households' well-being. If social housing does not enhance economic opportunities for poor households, it will create a beautiful living space but it will not empower poor households. In that sense, the outcomes of urban regeneration driven by social housing will be similar to those of neo- liberal policies. In fact, it will not profit poor households and will empower those who are 'already wealthy'.
Tonkin (2006) has conducted research to assess the performance of social housing in relation to its contribution to spatial, economic and social sustainability in South Africa. Three social housing projects have been analysed of which two are in Johannesburg and one is in Cape Town. Tonkin (2006) argued that the outcomes of the implementation of social housing in South Africa have yielded mixed results. It can be noted that by its very good location, rational utilisation of land, the use of high density environment and its architecture innovation, social housing creates a quality living environment and offers economic opportunities to its residents and supports their social integration into the urban fabric. These elements should be achieved through the design of social housing. Indeed, it is believed that efficient social housing may be considered as a chance for the urban poor.
The following section will highlight the contribution of social housing in the development of unsustainable human settlement.