By Prof. Dr Ambrose A. Adebayo School of Architecture Planning and Housing University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Durban South Africa

Transcription

1 By Prof. Dr Ambrose A. Adebayo School of Architecture Planning and Housing University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Durban South Africa

2 1. Introduction Presentation outline 2. Housing Delivery in Apartheid South Africa 3. Housing Delivery in Post-Apartheid South Africa 4. The case of the City of Durban 4.1 Cato Manor Incremental Housing Project 4.2 Shayamoya Social Housing Project 4.3 Private Individual Houses (Low and Middle Income) 4.3 Point Waterfront Inner City Revitalisation 5. Conclusion

3 2. Housing Delivery in Apartheid South Africa The key features of apartheid housing delivery in South Africa: Political ideology of social, economic and spatial segregation along racial lines in cities Neighbourhoods of the marginalized mainly Black Africans in urban areas were peripherally located and had limited socio-economic opportunities, monolithic and overcrowded

4 3. Housing Delivery in Post-Apartheid South Africa Rapid urbanisation and population growth in urban areas Formation of informal settlements Declining inner city neighbourhoods Enormous housing backlogs Delivery was constrained by affordability as the majority of the population (86%) earned less than R3 500 (Rust, 2006)

5 Government approach to reconstruction and development was informed by neo-liberal macroeconomic policy of Growth Employment and Redistribution: Provision of large scale incremental housing Capital subsidy for starter house Target group was the low income A review of ten years of Post-apartheid housing delivery noted that: No wealth was created for the low income people Poor quality housing and built environment Housing assets and value High unemployment rates

6 Led to the introduction of the Breaking New Ground Housing Policy with the objective of: Creation of sustainable human settlements To meet socio-economic needs through mixed use development including integrated housing neighbourhoods Rental social housing units Delivery through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) However implementation of the BNG hampered by neoliberal macro-economic policies (Growth Employment and Redistribution) and the recent economic down turn All problems identified in the review of the reconstruction and development programme are still persistent (poor quality housing and built environment and high unemployment rates)

7 It is in this context that households in low income incremental housing projects, private individual houses (low and middle Income), social housing projects and inner city revitalisation in the city of Durban in South Africa will be analysed for the impact of economic down turn and survival strategy adopted in economic hard times

8 4. The case of the City of Durban Coastal city of Durban is in many ways similar to the major cities in South Africa such as Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. During the apartheid era the city was socio-economically and spatially segregated along racial lines. Creation of sustainable human settlements was hampered by the neo-liberal economic context which drove unemployment to unprecedented levels This was worsened by the recent economic down turn In 2006 unemployment rate in the city was 35.5% above the national rate of 22.9% (City of Durban, 2006)

9 4.1 Cato Manor Incremental Housing Project (Selected case study area) Housing development in Cato manor has been based on the national housing subsidy, with specific focus on starter house (30 square metres free standing incremental house) and social housing flats. Poor quality of houses and the built environment due to poor workmanship For example in 2011 the ministry of human settlements set aside R58 billion to fix badly built low income housing. In the case of Kwa-Zulu Natal since January 2010 the government has demolished and rebuilt only about 12% (6200) of substandard low cost housing (Davids, 2011). Regulation, target procurement Left a maintenance burden for the government Repairing the housing in the hard times The incremental houses are shown on Figures 1 and 2

10 Figure 1: Cato Manor Incremental Housing

11 Figure 2: Cato Manor Incremental Housing

12 4.2 Shayamoya Social Housing Project It is a 318-unit medium density social housing project situated within the Wiggins Precinct of Cato Manor Most beneficiaries can not afford the rent Survival strategy in the hard times is through subletting to low-middle and middle income As a result of above there is displacement of the poor because of hardships Residential mobility has increased in scale Return of the poor to the cycle of poverty The flats are shown on figure 3 on the following slides

13 Figure 3: Shayamoya Social Housing Flats

14 4.3 Private Individual Houses (Low and Middle Income) Incremental finance for extension and renovation against the background of a new loan for a full house development or purchase Houses remodeled for various usages Increase level of income as entrepreneur centre for small business and professionals Income generating by renting additional units/space The approach has given a new neighborhood image and vitality

15 4.4 Point Waterfront Inner City Revitalisation Redeveloped as consequence of the problems of urban degeneration that faced most South African cities Economic hardship affect the sale of property to middle income level/high income The neighborhood is at a decline stage of development many projects could not go ahead and some have stopped at construction stage (lack of capital) Creates unsightly and rundown neighborhoods and regression of the built environment quality (devalues property) Change of usage from only residential to transit hotel accommodation (survival strategy) Unaffordable municipal rates and levy due to the location close harbour view and Indian ocean beach front (reduction of property sales rate)-point Waterfront

16 Figure 4: Incomplete neighbourhood revitalisation programme and lost space

17 Figure 5:

18 Figure 6: New apartment building in an unsightly and rundown built environment

19 Figure 7: New apartment building in an unsightly and rundown built environment

20 5. Conclusion Target procurement policy for incremental housing and the bad quality of houses built increased the maintenance and financial burden on the beneficiaries and government Has created distortions to housing backlogs and unsustainable housing delivery Social housing in hard times has been characterized by displacement of the beneficiaries Evidence of innovation in the private individual houses Changing perception of the role of houses and functions Revitalisation and regeneration may not achieve its objectives in a volatile economy due to lack of capital, devaluation of property and reduction of property sales rate The public private partnership investments in hard times are negatively impacted

21 All the above need to inform new housing policy formulation, and implementation, within the context of economic reality of South Africa in the future