Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Human Settlements in partnership with the National Department of Human Settlements has launched a new integrated system known as the Housing Needs Register (HNR) to manage potential housing beneficiaries. This study was aimed at refining the integrated system in terms of providing guidelines and processes in the allocation of affordable houses. A total of 88 878 records captured on the HNR were profiled, and the results show that in approximately 86% of the records, family factors and better economic circumstances were given as the main motivation towards a desire to own a house in a particular area of residence. These findings emphasized the importance of understanding beneficiaries’ needs with regard to housing. Providing guidelines in the application of this knowledge in a fair and consistent manner could assist in curtailing the spread of informal selling or demolishing of state subsidized houses and other forms of corruption. / Public Health / M.A. (Public Health)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology : Information Technology,Durban University of Technology, 2012 / The introduction of the Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP) in 2008 created challenges for the administration of all waiting lists and housing demand databases in South Africa as the provisioning of housing by the National Housing Programme was revised to include a higher earning per household. This resulted in an increase in the number of applications in all provinces. The fact that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements was processing applications manually because their electronic system was obsolete, only served to exacerbate matters. To address this problem of poor service provisioning at KZN-DHS, an automated internet based system was considered a promising solution to facilitate effective communication between the department and its clients. It was therefore important to find out which business activities and functional requirements of the KZN-DHS that when automated as an internet based application would improve housing service provisioning in the province. The purpose of this study therefore was to modify and enhance the old housing demand (electronic) database system for the KZN-DHS as the old system was not meeting their requirements and was not serving the citizens of the province efficiently. The researcher used Entity Relationship (ER) Model and Unified Modelling Language (UML) as a framework to develop an internet based system to leverage the business process, minimize capturing errors and improve administration processes in the KZN-DHS. Using a JAD session, semi-structured interviews she determined the needs and requirements of the users before developing, implementing and testing the system. Implementation alerted the researcher to errors/issues which were addressed to ensure optimal functioning of the system. This study makes recommendations for maintenance of the system and discusses implications for further research.

Assignment (MA ) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Informal settlements are a common feature of the urban landscape in contemporary South Africa and constitute one of the biggest challenges to urban planning and management at present. The political and legislative changes over the past decade have altered the approach to the management of informal settlements. This study starts out by examining the global trends and theory of urbanization, with special focus on the Third World. The various legal and policy frameworks relating to informal settlement and housing, as well as the implications thereof on urban management, are also examined. The assignment then proceeds to analyze the applicability and effectiveness of structured, formalized planning with regard to the management of informal settlement. The said analysis is followed by recommendations for the management of informal settlement, based on the preceding chapters. These recommendations suggest the following: Planners and authorities should be more proactive m planning for informal settlements. The applicability of individualized services should be reconsidered due to affordability and the inability of individualized facilities to cater for high levels of immigration. The study finally exanunes current strategies employed within the Cape Metropolitan Area, with special reference to the "Fast Tracking" process applied by the Helderberg Municipality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: lnformele nedersettings is 'n algemene gesig in die stedelike landskap van Suid-Afrika en is tans een van die grootste uitdagings in die veld van beplanning. Die politieke en wetlike veranderinge oor die afgelope dekade het groot veranderinge in die benadering en bestuur van inforrnele vestiging tot gevolg gehad. Die werkstuk begin deur die huidige globale neigings en teoriee oor verstedeliking aan te spreek, met spesifieke verwysing na die Derde Wereld. Die verskeie wetlike- en beleidsraamwerke waarin inforrnele vestiging en behuising gereguleer word, asook die implikasies daarvan, word ook bestudeer. Die werkstuk analiseer ook vervolgens die toepaslikheid en effektiviteit van gestruktureerde en geforrnaliseerde beplanning ten opsigte van inforrnele vestiging. Die genoemde analise word gevolg deur sekere voorstelle wat gemaak word aangaande die bestuur van inforrnele vestiging. Hierdie voorstelle sluit die volgende in: Beplanners en owerhede moet meer pro-aktief wees ten opsigte van bestuur en beplanning van inforrnele vestiging Die toepaslikheid van dienste, wat fokus op individuele huishoudings, moet heroorweeg word aangesien dit onbekostigbaar vir beide verbruiker en verskaffer kan wees. Hierdie dienste is ook rue in staat om die invloei van mense te hanteer soos gemeenskaplike dienste nie. Laastens word sekere van die strategiee wat aangewend word in die Kaapse Metropolitiaanse Area ten opsigte van die bestuur van informele vestiging ook bestudeer, met spesifieke verwysing na die "Fast Tracking" proses soos aangewend deur die Helderberg Munisipaliteit.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A premise of this thesis is that too much emphasis is still placed on dealing with the crisis of housing provision, rather than planning for housing development in South Africa. Little consideration is given to the economic improvement of the housing beneficiaries. The following research question was posed: What can and should be done in order for housing beneficiaries to become economically empowered? Government has the obligation to enhance and maintain the personal social welfare of its inhabitants. Housing is part of a package of social welfare services that includes physical health as well as the incorporeal element within a human being. Housing is also a process of how people came to be housed, starting at the moment when they first apply for a house. Economic empowerment should be linked to the four dimensions of development, i.e. equity, capacity-building, participation, self-reliance. Equity leads to economic empowerment by providing equal access to economic opportunities. capacity-building has aspects of developing skills, providing access to, and establishing supportive structures for economic empowerment. Participation is concerned with achieving power to influence decisions. Finally, self-reliance is linked to economic empowerment because it refers to the ability of people to produce most of its basic needs as well as producing surpluses with which to trade for those commodities and services which it does not produce efficiently itself (Burkey, 1993:51). Economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries implies a micro, individual level focus of economic development. According to Gildenhuys (1993:26) economic welfare refers to the development of the economic and material welfare and prosperity of the individual. Apart from a micro focus, a multi-objective focus is required for sustainability. According to Dalal-Clayton and Bass (2000:12), sustainable development entails balancing economic, social and environmental objectives. Finally, there are two dimensions to economic empowerment, namely, empowerment of the housing beneficiaries, as well as empowerment of development facilitators. Evidence of shortcomings of development projects relating to economic empowerment was provided in this thesis by means of applying the findings of an empirical research project in Wesbank to economic empowerment. The research explored the management processes that were implemented that eventually resulted in outcomes not being desirable. It was explained that the initial "scattering" of opportunities to emerging contractors was not part of a concerted approach for the primary beneficiaries to become economically empowered. This housing development project did not only fail to ensure economic empowerment, but also denied the housing beneficiaries what little economic activity they were involved in prior to the move. The Wesbank evidence was also linked to the views and findings of various authoritative sources that confirmed that government development projects in general, have an unfortunate track record when it comes to economic empowerment of so-called beneficiaries. Two case studies from the United States were used to illustrate that integrated development provides the context for the economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries. Four economic development foci then provided the framework within which solutions were formulated: residential dispersal and mobility, enhancing the capacity of housing beneficiaries, investing in economic empowerment of women, and changing the mindset of the developers. This framework embodies the how of economic empowerment of housing beneficiaries. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Aanname van hierdie tesis is dat te veel klem steeds geplaas word op die hantering van krisisse t.o.v behuisingsvoorsiening, eerder as beplanning vir behuisingsontwikkeling, met min inagneming vir ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes. Die volgende navorsingsvraag word gestel: Wat kan en moet gedoen word ten einde ekonomiese bemagtiging vir behuisingsbegunstigdes te bewerkstellig? Regerings het 'n plig om die persoonlike sosiale welsyn van landsinwoners te bevorder en te handhaaf. Behuising is deel van 'n pakket van sosiale welsynsdienste wat fisiese gesondheid sowel as die psigiese element van mens wees insluit. Behuising is ook 'n proses wat begin die oomblik wanneer 'n persoon die eerste keer aansoek doen vir 'n huis. Ekonomiese bemagtiging moet gekoppel word aan die vier dimensies van ontwikkeling, naamlik gelykheid, kapasiteitsbou, deelname, en onafhanklikheid. Gelykheid lei tot ekonomiese bemagtiging deurdat dit gelyke toegang tot ekonomiese geleenthede bevorder. Kapasiteitsbou sluit in ontwikkeling van vaardighede, verskaffing van toegang, en die oprig van ondersteunende strukture vir ekonomiese bemagtiging. Deelname bevorder die toename in mag om besluite te beïnvloed. Onafhanklikheid word gekoppel aan ekonomiese bemagtiging omdat dit verwys na die vermoë van mense om self in die meeste van hul basiese behoeftes te voorsien. Ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes impliseer 'n mikro, individuele vlak fokus op ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Volgens Gildenhuys (1993:26) verwys ekonomiese welvaart na die ontwikkeling van die ekonomiese en materiële welvaart en vooruitstrewendheid van die individu. Behalwe 'n mikro fokus, is 'n multi-doelwit fokus ook noodsaaklik vir volhoubaarheid. Volhoubare ontwikkeling behels die balansering van ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewings doelwitte. Daar is twee dimensies van ekonomiese bemagtiging, naamlik bemagtiging van die behuisingsbegunstigdes, sowel as bemagtiging van ontwikkelingsfasiliteerders. Bewyse van tekortkominge in ontwikkelingsprojekte aangaande ekonomiese bemagtiging word voorsien d.m.v die toepassing van bevindinge van 'n empiriese navorsingsprojek in Wesbank op ekonomiese bemagtiging. Die navorsing het die bestuursprosesse ondersoek wat gevolg was in die projek en uiteindelik ook veroorsaak het dat die uitkomste onwenslik was. Die aanvanklike verspreiding van geleenthede teenoor opkomende kontrakteurs was nie deel van 'n gefokusde plan vir die primêre begunstigdes om ekonomies bemagtig te word nie. Die behuisingsprojek het nie net daarin gefaal om ekonomiese bemagtiging te bewerkstellig nie, maar het ook die bietjie ekonomiese aktiwiteit waarin begunstigdes betrokke was voor die skuif na Wesbank, weggeneem. Die bewyse in Wesbank word ook gekoppel aan die sieninge en bevindinge van verskeie gesaghebbende bronne wat bevestig dat regeringsontwikkelingsprojekte oor die algemeen 'n swak rekord het wat betref ekonomiese bemagtiging van sogenaamde begunstigdes. Twee gevallestudies van die VSA is na verwys om te illustreer dat geïntegreerde ontwikkeling die konteks verskaf vir ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisings begunstigdes. Vier ekonomiese bemagtiging fokus areas verskaf 'n raamwerk waarin oplossings geformuleer is: verspreiding en mobiliteit, verbetering van kapasiteit van begunstigdes, ekonomiese bemagtiging van vroue, en verandering van die denkpatroon van ontwikkelingsfasiliteerders. Hierdie raamwerk stel voor die hoe van ekonomiese bemagtiging van behuisingsbegunstigdes.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Section 26 of the Constitution of South Africa states that all South Africans should have the basic right of access to adequate housing. The task of housing the people of South Africa is the responsibility of the state, who is empowered to utilize all legislative and economic resources at its disposal, in order to achieve this right to housing in all forms. Though the state has mobilised resources and manpower to achieve these objectives, many challenges remain in the facilitation and provision of adequate affordable housing. These challenges relate to the understanding of the complex legislative systems and mechanisms governing the delivery of housing in this country. The functions of various tiers of government and the interventions designed to alleviate the housing backlog are increasingly becoming less effective. The involvement of the private sector in the delivery of sustainable integrated affordable housing is therefore crucial as this enormous challenge cannot be achieved by the government alone. These challenges are numerous and diverse and this study highlights the main structural issues to which both the public and private sectors are exposed to. This relates to availability of land, affordability, subsidy constraints, access to funding and the limitations of development planning. The aim of this study is to determine how this range of challenges is affecting the delivery of sustainable integrated affordable housing. A survey of leading developers in the Western Cape has been conducted to determine the main factors which are retarding and hampering progress. The findings of the study reveals that government interventions in the housing sector though marginally progressive, are not conducive to alleviating the structural problems in this environment. As a result the ability of private sector developers to perform in this market is eroded due to the unsustainable and complex problems associated with this environment. As the need for housing grows, a greater awareness and understanding of the problems and challenges associated with the delivery of sustainable integrated affordable housing is needed to provide a platform for the creation of adequate housing in this country. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Artikel 26 van die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika stel dat alle Suid-Afrikaners die reg op toegang tot geskikte behuising het. Die taak van die behuising van die mense van Suid-Afrika is die verantwoordelikheid van die staat, wat toegerus is om alle wetgewende en ekonomiese hulpbronne tot sy beskikking te gebruik om hierdie reg tot behuising in al sy vorme te verwesenlik. Alhoewel die staat hulpbronne en mannekrag gemobiliseer het om hierdie doelwitte te bereik, bestaan daar steeds vele uitdagings in die fasilitering en verskaffing van geskikte en bekostigbare behuising. Hierdie uitdagings het betrekking op die begrip van die komplekse wetgewende stelsels en meganismes wat die lewering van behuising in hierdie land beheer. Die funksies van verskeie vlakke van regering en die intervensies wat ontwerp is om die behuisingsagterstand te verlig, raak al hoe minder effektief. Die betrokkenheid van die privaatsektor in die lewering van volhoubare, geïntegreerde en bekostigbare behuising is kritiek omdat die regering nie hierdie enorme uitdaging alleen kan verrig nie. Die uitdagings is talryk en divers, en hierdie studie werp lig op die vernaamste strukturele kwessies waaraan beide die openbare en privaatsektore blootgestel word. Dit het betrekking op die beskikbaarheid van grond, bekostigbaarheid, subsidiebeperkings, toegang tot befondsing en die tekortkominge van ontwikkelingsbeplanning. Die doel van hierdie studie is om vas te stel hoe hierdie reeks uitdagings die lewering van volhoubare, geïntegreerde en bekostigbare behuising affekteer. ’n Opname van toonaangewende ontwikkelaars in die Wes-Kaap is gemaak om vas te stel wat die hooffaktore is wat vordering vertraag en belemmer. Die bevindinge van die studie onthul dat regeringsintervensies in die behuisingsektor, hoewel marginaal progressief, nie bevorderlik is vir die verligting van strukturele probleme in hierdie omgewing nie. Gevolglik word die vermoë van die privaatsektor-ontwikkelaars om in hierdie mark te slaag, verweer weens die onvolhoubaarheid en komplekse probleme wat met hierdie omgewing gepaard gaan. Soos die behoefte aan behuising groei, word ’n groter bewustheid en beter begrip van die probleme en uitdagings, wat gepaard gaan met die lewering van volhoubare, geïntegreerde behuising, benodig om ’n platform daar te stel vir die skepping van geskikte behuising in hierdie land.

The purpose of the study was to investigate and examine the impact of the government housing subsidies in Alexandra, Gauteng, in terms of improving the socio-economic conditions of poor people. The ANC government promised to change the material conditions of people by among other things eliminating poverty when it ascended to power. Access to adequate housing is regarded as a fundamental right in terms of the prescripts of the South African constitution. By implication the government has a developmental duty to provide housing to eligible citizens. A policy decision by government in 1995 to provide housing subsidies to poor households, particularly those earning between R0-3500 rand provided a significant catalyst in the objective to improve the socio-economic conditions of poor people. That is why the study was conducted in the Alexandra Township, given the proximity of the area to affluent suburbs such as Sandton. This also provided a perfect case study to measure the effectiveness of the housing subsidy system and how the system has been managed to maximise the housing delivery impact in terms of outcomes. In terms of research findings, the expectation was that delivery of low cost housing using government subsidies should not have experienced problems on housing delivery backlogs and administrative blockages. The research results revealed that the failure to quickly improve the socio-economic conditions of poor people through providing adequate housing and creating a progressive environment to create and access job opportunities has exacerbated the state of poverty, which perpetuates dependency on state assistance. The research findings further showed that there is no conclusive evidence that many if not all beneficiaries were using their subsidised house as an asset in terms of leveraging it to improve their financial position; and that there is still a high level of dependency on government for assistance even on maintenance of these units, especially after taking ownership. This has exposed a grave lack of knowledge or information on the side of beneficiaries on how to utilise the house as an asset in order to be progressive as far as improving social and economic conditions. The overall research results demonstrated that vi the existing low cost housing funding model (in Gauteng) is not sustainable in terms of delivering subsidised housing units; and significantly improving the quality of life and standard of living of poor people. In terms of limitations, the study took to account that the new government needed enough time to translate policy into concrete implementable ideas as far as housing was concerned, hence the period of study was from 1995 to 2012. This study is important because its findings contribute knowledge in the field of Public Administration and housing literature; and also assists the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) to explore recommended solutions to improve the Housing Subsidy System. Most importantly, the study provides valuable data relating to the impact of government housing subsidies, including challenges on housing allocations and subsidies management. The study concludes with recommendations on what an effective government subsidy programme should look like. This provides an opportunity to review the entire government subsidy system, as recommended in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 vision. The government of the day needs to urgently review the existing grant and subsidy regime for housing with a view to ensuring diversity in product and finance options that allows for more household choice and greater spatial mix and flexibility. Moreover, government should ensure that state funding does not support the further provision of non-strategic housing investments in poorly located areas. / Public Administration / D.P.A.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2000. / Refer to the document

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Human Settlements in partnership with the National Department of Human Settlements has launched a new integrated system known as the Housing Needs Register (HNR) to manage potential housing beneficiaries. This study was aimed at refining the integrated system in terms of providing guidelines and processes in the allocation of affordable houses. A total of 88 878 records captured on the HNR were profiled, and the results show that in approximately 86% of the records, family factors and better economic circumstances were given as the main motivation towards a desire to own a house in a particular area of residence. These findings emphasized the importance of understanding beneficiaries’ needs with regard to housing. Providing guidelines in the application of this knowledge in a fair and consistent manner could assist in curtailing the spread of informal selling or demolishing of state subsidized houses and other forms of corruption. / Public Health / M.A. (Public Health)

The rapid increase in student enrolment in universities has brought about a number of concerns, including off campus student housing as Institutions of Higher Learning are unable to accommodate all students on campus. Due to the extremely small number of students that are currently being accommodated on campus, many students are forced to find accommodation off campus. Property owners nearby Institutions of Higher Learning have begun letting their homes to students for economic gain. Housing of students has become a new business venture for many surrounding houses and large buildings. This study examined some of the problems associated with non-accredited accommodation in Summerstrand in order to provide recommendations towards a policy for off campus student accommodation. The study investigated the experiences of both students and landlords in order to establish some of the requirements a property owner needs to meet in order to be legible to house students. Ultimately the study will make recommendations for an effective policy for off-campus student accommodation in the Nelson Mandela Bay. An effective policy for the development of student housing in the Nelson Mandela Bay needs to be formulated as students can be exploited by landlords and landlords can exploited by students. The study identified 4 particular areas of concern namely rent, security, facilities and maintenance; and provided recommendations for the policy for off-campus accommodation.