Though the right to adequate housing is written into South Africa’s Constitution, the fulfillment of this right, especially when attempting to utilize housing to undo the spatiality of apartheid, is no small feat. South Africa’s first national housing policy has three major components: first, the provision of a subsidized house to all families without a home and living below a certain income level; second, the stabilization of housing through greater access to housing finance; and finally third, the mobilization of housing finance through the creation of a National Housing Finance Corporation and a Rural Housing Loan Fund.
Even though the National Housing Policy and its associated policies have improved the integration of infrastructure, transportation, and housing investments, most of the existing housing programs still do not result in the desired housing form, instead leading to low-density housing on the peripheries of cities.
Source:
Gardner, D. & Graham, N. (2017) World Bank and Cities Support Programme, South African Urbanisation Review: Analysis of the Human Settlement Programme and Subsidy Instruments. World Bank.