South Africa's Emergency Housing Programme: A prism of urban contest

Abstract

The Emergency Housing Programme (EHP) is an important subsidy tool in South Africa. The EHP was designed to realise the right to housing and ensure that municipalities rapidly respond to emergency housing situations. However, the programme's implementation has been harshly critiqued by activists, academics, and even other state departments, for a range of valid reasons. This paper explores the findings of a year-long research project consisting mainly of case studies, interviews, workshops and policy review aimed at understanding these criticisms. The research found that the EHP implementers are constrained by conflicted urban development imperatives that include: systemic housing demand, building investment-friendly and efficient cities, and other developmental programmes. This paper argues for a reading of the implementation of EHP as problematic prioritisation, rather than simply one of poor provision. In this way, EHP serves as a prism for urban contest and advocate for more strategic, holistic, and progressive urban decision-making.

Keywords:

• emergency housing
• informal settlements
• South African cities
• urban policy
• temporary relocation areas

Acknowledgements

I would like to express gratitude to the Housing Development Agency for funding and overseeing this research. Additionally, the support of Mark Misselhorn from the Project Preparation Trust, Paul Hendler from Probitas, and Helen MacGregor from the Development Action Group was essential to the shaping of the research and analysis. However, all faults and criticisms are the responsibility of the author alone.

Notes

²Occupiers of 51 Olivia Road, Berea Township and 197 Main Street, Johannesburg vs. City of Johannesburg and Others 2008 (3) SA 208 (CC) (Olivia Road); also see Port Elizabeth Municipality vs. Various Occupiers 2005 (1) SA 217 (CC) (PE Municipality) (Tissington, 2010).

³Residents of Joe Slovo Community, Western Cape vs. Thubelisha Homes and Others 2009 ZACC 16 (Joe Slovo).

⁴City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality vs. Blue Moonlight Properties 39 (Pty) Ltd and Another (Lawyers for Human Rights as Amicus Curiae).

⁵It is important to note that, as per the policy, shelter provision cannot include ‘tents’ or ‘marquees’, which are seen as within the ambit of disaster relief.

⁶These numbers are based on a PowerPoint presentation entitled Human Settlements Development Grant Priorities and Business Plan 2013/14 (Revised Plans), July 2013. This is an internal document from the National Department of Human Settlements. Note that this does not include Disaster Allocation also granted to municipalities, which does not form a direct part of the EHP policy.

⁷Technically, formal housing reconstruction, as per the EHP policy, does require basic qualification and income threshold; however, this is infrequently performed.

⁸For a full list of the option categories, see the Department of Human Settlements, 2009: 32–4.

⁹This can be seen in the City of Cape Town's ‘Integrated Human Settlements Five-year Strategic Plan 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2017', where they use both incremental development area and TRA terminology.