Since 1994, South African has provided about 3.5 million subsidized houses – and while this has met many people’s housing needs, there remains issues related to security of tenure due to inefficient land administration and policy frameworks. In many cases, the beneficiaries of housing subsidies do not receive title deeds due to process and system failure, and formal property transfers are often inaccessible for low-income families, as they are time-consuming and expensive.
In Cape Town, South Africa, Cities Alliance piloted the Transaction Support Centre (TSC) to assist clients with title deed and property-related issues. As a walk-in support center, TSC is able to help clients while bringing their learnings back to the government, highlighting policy gaps and needs. Though TSC currently operates outside of the realm of the government, a research partnership has been formed with the City of Cape Town and there are anticipated collaborations across governmental departments.
Source:
Cities Alliance. (2020) Transaction Support Centre: supporting households in undertaking formal residential property transactions in the affordable housing market. Cities Alliance Publications.