A critical review of the low-cost housing policy in South Africa: a multi case study
- Authors: Mkuzo, Tim Zamuxolo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Public housing -- South Africa Housing policy -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18972 , vital:28761
- Description: Housing is a complex subject and has stimulated thought processes of scholars globally for a long time. Throughout the world, governments are flooded by a myriad of housing challenges associated with the provision of housing. Policy has been used as a communicator of governments’ visions and strategies on housing provision. The apartheid legacies have left the country’s housing terrain totally disfigured. To correct this travesty of justice, the government has resorted to policy and legislative framework. In 1994, the Housing White Paper on housing was introduced as a guiding vehicle of the state’s aspirations in its quest to address spatial inequalities and provide housing to millions who had never had a place they could call home. However, the inability of the programme, to mitigate a successful provision of sustainable housing, motivated the government to rethink its strategy. Thus, a new approach to housing called, “Breaking New Ground” (BNG, 2004) was launched. Contrary to the old housing approach that focussed on mass delivery, BNG would regard quality and spatial reconfiguration and social-cohesion as vital to the realization of sustainable human settlements. Few years after its introduction, the new housing approach had its own share of challenges. The main aim of this investigation was to critically review the state of low-cost housing programme by establishing whether the 2004 policy revision of the national housing programme has had any significant effect on the low-cost housing programme in the country by assessing some of the recent projects initiated under the ambit of the BNG. Through a multi-case study, the researcher has qualitatively investigated the research question. A multi-data gathering approach, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data-collection instruments such as open-ended interviews, questionnaires and observations, helped the researcher to answer the questions posed by the study. From the investigation, a blend of successes and failures has been noted. It is undeniable that the low-cost housing programme is still inundated with challenges right under the domain of BNG. It is also irrefutable that many positives on the current and recent low-cost housing projects initiated under BNG can be seen.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An assessment of the quality of housing delivery in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality : the beneficiaries' perspective (2008-2010)
- Authors: Mkuzo, Tim Zamuxolo
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Public housing -- Resident satisfaction -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8194 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1340 , Public housing -- Resident satisfaction -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Description: In an attempt to improve the quality of lives of its citizens, the South African government has introduced low-cost housing projects through the Reconstruction and Development Programme. This is supported by the relevant policy framework and the Constitution. Many historically disadvantaged communities in the urban areas have benefitted from the low-cost housing programmes initiated by government. The community of Joe Slovo, which has houses which were built between 2008 and 2010, in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is one of them. However, concerns about the poor quality of some of the houses delivered through government’s low-cost housing programmes have been expressed. These concerns were attributed to the defects which tend to show up in some of the houses, shortly after they have been built. In view of such concerns and the importance of the optimal utilization of the country’s limited resources, the author decided to undertake this study. In this study he focused on the perceptions of the beneficiaries of the houses delivered through the Joe Slovo housing project in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The main focus was on the perceptions about the quality of the recently acquired houses. The study revealed that not all beneficiaries were satisfied with the quality of their houses. Hence recommendations for addressing this scenario are made.
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- Date Issued: 2011