Radical housing model teaches powerful lessons for solving South Africa’s housing crisis

Earlier this 12 months, Mmamoloko Kubayi, Minister for Human Settlements shared an alarming perception into the severity of South Africa’s chromic housing disaster. Answering a query to Parliament, she acknowledged that that 1.9 million South African households, or 11.4% of the inhabitants, dwell in casual dwellings. Based on the most recent statistics, round 17% of Western Cape households dwell in casual settlements whereas Cape City’s housing backlog is over 325,000 households and rising. 

With out radical, decisive motion mixed with the mandatory political backing, the nationwide housing disaster threatens to escalate past management. 

In Khayelitsha, certainly one of South Africa’s largest and most marginalised casual settlements, Cape City-based NPO City Suppose Tank Empower (UTTE) has developed a radical housing mannequin which has taught that that dignified, reasonably priced housing can change into a actuality for all South Africans – with the correct assist.

Part one: reworking lives

Launched in 2013, section certainly one of UTTE’s Empower initiative has already helped to remodel the lives of over 350 Khayelitsha residents dwelling in 72 Empower properties designed according to their wants, aspirations and cultural values. 

Most of the improvements pioneered by the collaborative, community-first Empower Improve Mannequin appear apparent, but they’ve by no means been applied in South Africa’s casual settlements. For instance, constructing double-storey Empower properties upwards as a substitute of outwards has helped to make greatest use of scarce out there land whereas maximising dwelling area. That is notably vital provided that the common variety of individuals per casual settlement dwelling is comparatively excessive. One other vital innovation includes giving the residents a direct say in designing their very own properties and their very own neighbourhoods. In consequence, Empower properties present secure and respectable housing for households inside their current communities with out relocating them to random, doubtlessly distant RDP websites. 

Commenting on the gaps in present housing provision, Delana Finlayson, Managing Director at UTTE, says: “No-one can problem the admirable intentions behind RDP housing. Nevertheless, the programme’s concentrate on amount over high quality has produced homes that don’t all the time meet the wants of the individuals dwelling in them. We’re assured that scaling up and replicating our housing mannequin may help to ship the promise of ‘housing safety and luxury’ for all South Africans, as enshrined within the 1955 Freedom Constitution.”

Part two: scale up and replicate

Drawing on classes realized throughout section one of many Empower marketing campaign, UTTE is now poised to ship much more dignified, reasonably priced properties as section two will get underway. This section will begin with the development of one other 70 Empower properties together with public areas and shared property comparable to a group corridor, city farm and solar energy set up. Subsequent steps will contain increasing the mission to 9 extra websites in Khayelitsha. Lengthy-term, UTTE is assured that its Empower Improve Mannequin is able to taking part in an instrumental function in ending South Africa’s power housing disaster by delivering extra new Empower properties to extra communities within the years forward.

Commenting on the mission’s transformative affect, Alderman Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor of Cape City and Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, says: “Cape City is a rising metropolis, going through the various pressures of emigration and urbanisation. We’ve to conscious to not stay reactive in our efforts and it’s equally vital to look by means of a proactive lens to make sure we sustainably reply to those pressures. 

“The Metropolis of Cape City could be very supportive of the work accomplished by the Empower crew and its companions for the individuals of this group. The crew has proven us how a lot we are able to obtain by means of visionary collaborations that mix confirmed technical know-how with daring innovation to handle the very actual challenges going through individuals dwelling in our casual settlements. Additional to this, their improvements assist our targets to cut back our carbon footprint by utilizing nature-based options to our challenges.  “The Empower Improve Mannequin additionally locations the wellbeing and aspirations of the group on the forefront of the housing course of by restoring dignity, safety and hope to group members. This mannequin is a sustainable response to a rising metropolis. Thanks for partnering with the Metropolis of Cape City and instructing us beneficial classes about re-blocking. As a municipality we can’t do it alone and depend on companions comparable to UTTE to assist us construct a Metropolis of Hope for all who dwell, work, make investments and play right here.”