Analysing impediments to the effective distribution of low income housing in South Africa: the case of the Delft Symphony community in Cape Town

Abstract

One of the dilemmas facing the post-Apartheid government in South Africa is the shortage of housing, often expressing itself in the rapid increase of informal settlements, especially in urban townships. The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to examine key impediments to the effective distribution of low-income housing with the Delft Symphony community in Cape Town used as its contextual focus. To achieve this, content and cross analytical approaches were used to analyse some crucial insights from the Theory of Justice, the self-help housing model and the empirical findings from 28 key informants was done to gain better insights into various housing dynamics in the Delft Symphony community. Subsequently, poor planning and lack of suitable land for housing, particularly in urban spaces, were identified as key impediments to the effective implementation of low-income housing. This study submits that this situation demands a timeous response from authorities because an increase in population means a high demand for land. Pending short-and-long term solutions, the city will experience land invasions, which might even occur in the areas reserved for other developmental purposes. Therefore, there is a need for collective action to fast-track the processes of land approval for low-income housing in the likes of the Delft Symphony community.