The City of Johannesburg has announced plans to change the face of the informal housing market by rolling out an alternative rental accommodation strategy as part of a broad Sustainable Human Settlements Urbanisation Plan (SHSUP).
Addressing the media this week, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Development Planning Urban Management Councillor Roslynn Greeff said although the City had been able to deliver on its housing promises through new developments such as Fleurhof, City Deep, Lehae and Lufhereng, the housing backlog was still stubbornly high. She said alternative rental accommodation represented a fundamental component of the housing market. Estimates put the number of informal dwellings in Johannesburg alone at 320 000 units. “There are hundreds of backyard dwellings in areas like Soweto, Diepsloot, Ivory Park and South Hills. We want to manage, guide and direct what is already happening in these areas with a focus on safety, health and the environment,” Greeff said.An invitation for innovation
To this end, the City has extended an invitation to industry players to submit innovative ideas to change the face of informal housing in Johannesburg. Players in the construction industry are being asked to come up with creative designs of informal dwellings that will, importantly, take into account safety, technical, economical and environmental considerations. “We believe that with the technology and knowledge available in the construction industry, we can delve into that area to get some bright ideas on alternative housing solutions,” Greeff said. Preggie Naidoo, Acting Unit Head: Building Development Management, said as part of the City’s plan to formalise backyard buildings, technical advice centres boasting show units would be rolled out in all the regions, starting in Braamfischerville, Region C.“Once we have packaged the model and developed standards, they will be made available to homeowners, with technical specifications outlined to ensure compliance.
