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
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).
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.’
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 underserviced 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”
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
HOUSING SUBSIDY
PROGRAMME
CONSEQUENCES
•
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
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
Europa House
Madulamoho Housing Association
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
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).
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).
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).
Categories of special need which should be considered as
being eligible for SNGH include:
a.
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.
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).