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Lone Poulsen Poulsen Buccellato Architects lone@poulsen.co.za

HIV,AIDS AND HOUSING SEMINAR Setting the context: South Africa’s Human Settlement and HIV story 18 September 2014. Lone Poulsen Poulsen Buccellato Architects lone@poulsen.co.za. SOUTH AFRICA: BIG PICTURE CONTEXT.

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Lone Poulsen Poulsen Buccellato Architects lone@poulsen.co.za

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  1. HIV,AIDS AND HOUSINGSEMINARSetting the context: South Africa’s Human Settlement and HIV story18 September 2014 Lone Poulsen Poulsen Buccellato Architects lone@poulsen.co.za

  2. SOUTH AFRICA:BIG PICTURE CONTEXT high levels of inequality and poverty (as of 2011, 32.3 % of the population or 16.3 million people were living below R443 per person per month (NPC, 2011)), high levels of unemployment (25.5% (Stats SA, 2014))and underemployment (with a large proportion (36% (Stats SA, 2014) of out of school youth and adults not working (NPC, 2011)) , HIV AIDS prevalence (about 10.6% of the population, with the total number of people living with HIV / AIDS in 2011 estimated at 5.4 million. The highest levels are among youth, with an estimated 16.6% of those between 15 and 49 being HIV positive (NPC, 2012), spatial dislocation, weakened family structures, substance abuse and gender-based violence (PPT, 2013). Since 1994 many programmes have been introduced to reduce poverty among the people in South Africa including social grants, no fee schools, low-income housing subsidies and free basic services are some of the measures put in place to improve the living conditions of the poor (StatSA, 2014).

  3. RIGHT TO ADEQUATE HOUSING Government’s housing development emanates from the Constitution which enshrines everyone’s’ right to have access to adequate housing. The state is bound, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right (DHS, 2009). ‘In 1994 South Africa’s new housing policy was launched with the housing subsidy scheme as its key instrument. Through the scheme the Department of Human Settlements estimates that more than 3.7 million housing opportunities have been realised for poor families’ (Sisulu, 2014). ‘The reality however, is that despite impressive (but dropping) delivery figures, millions of people remain inadequately housed. It is also not surprising then that out of all the protests in South Africa over the last five years, 20% can be attributed to housing (SA Race Relations, 2012) and associated services.’

  4. ADEQUATE SHELTER NEED • 2.3 million households remained inadequately housed in 2009 (Presidency, 2012). • 1.2 million households in more than 2 700 informal settlements (Presidency, 2012). • 1.1 million households in overcrowded and under-serviced conditions (Presidency, 2012). • 400 000 to 600 000 households did not qualify for the subsidy and could not access housing finance • household growth rates at about 3% per annum • rapid urban migration with 63% o the 52 million populations living in cities and towns • delivery of houses has dropped dramatically due to “blockages in the pipeline”

  5. HOUSING SUBSIDY PROGRAMME • delivery through various programmes: RDP, BNG, PHP, site & service and mega projects eg. Cosmo City. • majority of formal houses delivered are “free” houses, • a key element is home ownership with title deeds transferred to beneficiaries • Linked to provision of basic services: • 95% of households have access to water in their yard, • 57% have access to flush toilets and • 86 % of households have access to electricity (StatsSA, 2014). • Most housing has been developer-driven - over 76% of projects through the private sector • delinking of beneficiaries from the development and construction phase, resulting in beneficiaries having very limited say or participation in the process

  6. HOUSING SUBSIDY PROGRAMMECONSEQUENCES • poor location of subsidised housing projects which have reinforced apartheid geographies, • uniform housing types, • lack of attention to supporting services and infrastructure, • poor quality developments • estimating that 50% of households have yet to receive title deeds • despite the large numbers of houses produced, the housing backlogs have increased • 9.7 million households in South Africa earning less than R10 000 per month, of which 6,9 million qualify for subsidised housing (DHS, 2011). • vast majority of South African’s are dependent on government assistance for their shelter needs

  7. SOCIAL HOUSING • Rental accommodation mechanisms: • Institutional Subsidy • Social Housing Programme. • Community Residential Units programme. • Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) • National Association of Social Housing Organisations (NASHO) • Accredited SHI’s with social responsibility requirements • Subsidy regime adjusted to inflation and cost escalation • Capital costs vs long term management and maintenance • Range of affordability levels types of units

  8. Europa House Madulamoho Housing Association

  9. SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING The National Housing Subsidy Scheme has made provisions for vulnerable groups. The Housing Subsidy Scheme requires a beneficiary contribution of R2 479. However those earning below R1 500, the disabled, health stricken and the aged are not required to make this contribution. In addition housing units delivered through the national subsidy scheme are adjusted to accommodate the special needs of a disabled beneficiary (or a member of a beneficiary household) to enable them to live independently. Evaluated on a case by case basis but could include installing paving and a ramp to the doorway, kick plates to doors, hand and grab rails, increased size for the bathroom etc (DHS, 2009). Existing provincial special needs housing policies: • special needs housing policies in place in KwaZulu Natal (since 1999) and the • Eastern Cape (since 2006/7). There is also a draft policy in place in the Western • Cape and Gauteng has previously made subsidies available through the transitional subsidy framework

  10. NATIONAL DEARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS SPECIAL NEEDS POLICY? Despite delivery of successful projects and dedicated effort to get special needs housing recognised nationally for over 14 years, the National Department does not have a national policy or framework or directive giving their blessing to the use of the institutional subsidy for special needs housing. Certain Provinces, particularly KZN, Gauteng and the Western Cape have used the institutional subsidy in a transitional housing arrangement and have a policy framework for special needs housing in place . The Western Cape have placed their policy on hold since 2010 due to an uncertain mandate from the NDHS. Without clear permission from the National Department, other Provinces are not permitting the housing subsidy to be used for these kinds of projects. The National Department of Housing, together with the National Department of Social Development, are currently relooking at the issue of special needs housing (PPT, 2013).

  11. SPECIAL NEEDS PROJECTS The PPT in research undertaken by NPOs working in the field found that by June 2012 : • 71 special projects had been developed using the housing subsidy, benefitting 3 301 people, with a further 31 projects under preparation, benefiting 812 people. • These projects include group shelter and care within communities for orphans and vulnerable children, abused women and children, the severely disabled, the elderly and others in special need (PPT, 2013). Foster care housing models for orphans and vulnerable children have been developed over the last 15 years where families are either unable to take in yet another child or where these children are badly neglected (PPT, 2014) . • These models require sustained support in terms of foster care grants and other sources of funding. Palliative care type facilities are struggling as they are expensive to run. Many hospices are in the process of closing down because of a lack of funding and there seems to be a move back to home based care (PPT, 2014). • There are various options for housing  for older persons. There are some that are concentrating specifically on older persons totally dependent on pension grants from Government. The biggest problem is that often older people have children and grandchildren that they have to care for (PPT, 2014).

  12. DEFINITION OF CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING 1. Special Needs Group Housing (SNGH) This is housing provided by registered and suitably capacitated NPO’s for those requiring special group care for a range of reasons. These people are usually in urgent need of a type of care which requires specialised capacity, resources or expertise. Individual’s names are not registered on the national housing database. A variation of the institutional subsidy (referred to as a transitional subsidy by some) is utilised. Housing subsidies are assigned per bed and not per beneficiary. Approval of NPO and intended project are required from the relevant oversight Department (e.g. Social Development or Health).

  13. Categories of special need which should be considered as being eligible for SNGH include: • Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) (including those affected by HIV AIDS) b. The seriously ill (including those infected by HIV AIDS) c. The old and infirm (including those requiring frail care) d. Those with physical disabilities e. Those with intellectual and psychiatric disability f. Victims of domestic abuse and family violence ( emergency and 2nd stage housing) g. The homeless / those living on the street (including street children, refugees, trafficked people) h. Those under substance rehabilitation i. Parolees, ex-offenders and juvenile offenders.

  14. 2. Special Needs Individual Housing (SNIH) Oversight Departments (e.g. Social Development or Health) and/or local NPO’s. The usual subsidy eligibility criteria apply, except that single people without financial dependents may also be eligible. It is however suggested that the categories of special need which should be considered as being potentially eligible for SNIH may include: a. The elderly in fairly good health able to live independently (even if this might be with limited family or other assistance) b. People with disabilities as described in the Housing Code who are able to live independently with or without their families. c. Abused women and children for 3rd stage housing. It should be noted that only those actually undergoing treatment and referred by the NPO should be able to qualify. With high levels of domestic abuse in South Africa, this would need to be tightly controlled. d. Child headed households (provided the household is headed by person 18 years and older and government accepts that children in the affected household are seen as financially dependent).

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