Thesis (Master of Environmental Management)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Over the past decades, environmental problems associated with low-cost housing developments have been reported on a national and global scale (see Sowman and Urquhart, 1998 and also Norville, 2003). Poor community participation in the early stages of project design and lack of public involvement in decision making regarding low cost housing development are said to have contributed to these environmental issues. The environmental issues that have been reported so far relate to escalating water quality due to poor storm water management and improper waste disposal which poses a threat to the natural environment. While there is as emerging view that the nature of environmental problems experienced in these settlements are due to a lack of participation by local people in decision making, there is virtual no studies that have located this analysis within the theoretical debate of modernist planning. The issue that has been ignored thus far is the fact that low cost housing development (in generally) still resembles the spatial pattern of both the modernist and apartheid planning orthodox. It is thus from this context that the local people are increasingly excluded from participating in decision making. This form of modernist development is contrary to the ethos of sustainable development. In essence, sustainable development, as a new development theory, also adheres to the notion of local citizenry involvement in development for the benefits of the future generation. The research study further argues that poor people need to participate in decision making regarding the design and delivery of these houses (Oelefse, 1997). Therefore, the study investigated the underlying environmental implications associated with informal economic activities in a low cost housing establishment. The research study adopted a qualitative research design and an inductive approach. Dunoon was used as a case study for the research. The study used two sampling techniques, purposive sampling and random sampling,were used. Interviews, questionnaires and observations were used to collect data from the residents, informal businesses in Dunoon and key stakeholders from the Department of Environmnental Affairs as well as City of Cape Town. The findings of the thesis illustrate that long-term environmental impacts that are visible in the low-cost housing development of Dunoon are triggered by informal economic activities that are practised by the local people to make a living. In this regard, this thesis argues that local people need to be involved in the early planning and design stages of low-cost housing development. They need to be involved in all development stages to ensure that they drive the vision of the development. Lack of involvement of the local people in the initial stages of decision-making on the project triggered severe long term environmental impacts. The study then concludes that long-term environmental impacts in Dunoon are intertwined with the escalation of informal economic activities initiated by the local people in order to cope with harsh economic realities. These informal activities are a form of reaction to the imposed version of development. Thus, the environmental problems that emerged out of this pattern of human activities must be analysed by means of conceptualising the Dunoon low-cost housing as a product of modernist planning philosophy. Based on the information gathered and discussed in this thesis, it is concluded that the low-cost housing development is a product of modernist planning.

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

The right to adequate housing is recognized internationally as a basic human right. South Africa is one of the countries that include this basic right as one of the cornerstones in its constitution. Quite a number of ways and means have been implemented and various kinds of mechanisms have been put into place to kickstart and spearhead the process of providing shelter mainly to the poor segments of the communities in South Africa at large. Towards this end the South African Housing Policy is formulated around the notion of the enabling approach whereby state assistance in the form of a lump sum subsidy is given to households to enhance and intensify the beneficiaries' own efforts towards improving their housing. In other words the smooth operation of the enabling approach is to a large extent dependent on the individuals' substantial contribution in many if not all aspects of housing process. The study demonstrates that since the implementation of this enabling approach too little has been achieved in terms of housing delivery. The study therefore identifies three key issues (among other issues) that are seen as major bottlenecks in the implementation of the enabling approach in housing delivery for all. The study argues that in order for the beneficiaries to consolidate their housing, they need to augment their low-income with a loan or any other form of a housing credit. It is the central argument of this study in this regard that proper housing credit mechanisms suited to the circumstances of the low-income groups have not been adequately addressed. The study further observes that the majority of low-income groups do not have proper labour and employment skills in that these groups also lack access to employment opportunities. This study therefore adopts the position that proper structures need to be put in place in-order to eradicate these above-mentioned major hurdles standing in the way of the enabling approach. The study argues that if these issues are not adequately addressed, housing consolidation among low-income groups will remain a major problem and the enabling approach will eventually be regarded as non-viable and incompetent. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

This thesis set out to examine the application of the supporter paradigm in the incremental housing process in South Africa, and the way support for housing consolidation has been orchestrated in practice. It aimed to determine the forms of housing support that constitute preconditions of housing consolidation in the South African low income housing context. The supporter paradigm upon which post-apartheid housing policy is based takes its cue from the proponents of self-help housing, and the institutions that have entrenched it internationally. It outlines the housing support actions that would enable poor households to achieve housing adequacy incrementally . In South Africa, such households would constitute housing subsidy beneficiaries, seeking to achieve housing 'depth' through the process of housing consolidation, where the national subsidy programme would primarily only have delivered housing 'width' , or housing starts. Contrary to the expectations of the policy, the pace of housing consolidation has been slow, and the standard of the resultant housing poor. The thesis ' point of departure is that households which have not improved their dwellings, or whose improvement efforts have only yielded temporary housing, continue to experience housing inadequacy, despite subsidy support. This outcome contradicts the policy 's goal of enabling households to reach housing adequacy. That subsidy support is but one of a number of supports needed to enable housing consolidation is acknowledged by current policy. This study critiques the way support has been lent to households in consolidating situations conceptually and empirically. Conceptually, the study analyses the international and South African policy discourse around the support approach to housing delivery, as well as looks at some precedents in housing support practice internationally for useful lessons. Empirically, the study makes use of qualitative and quantitative research instruments to examine and analyse the housing support experience in three different types of incremental housing projects, located in eThekwini municipality, in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa . The housing support findings are analysed within the context of what both the housing policy and the study 's key informants consider to be a holistic packaging of housing support, that should be attendant to any incremental housing project. On the basis of the study's findings, housing support practice is critiqued on two levels. At policy level, the study reveals that the foundation of South African housing policy in a neoliberal context, in the absence of support targeted at improving the incomes of the mainly very poor beneficiaries, sets them up for failure in their housing improvement efforts. At the implementation level, the study identifies three key areas of weakness. Firstly, there is absence of strategic direction at the National level, resulting in the treatment of housing support as an optional function by the housing implementation levels. Secondly, most housing authorities experience difficulty in understanding what housing support entails, because of its multifaceted nature and lack of specificity . Consequently, the support attendant to incremental housing projects is ad hoc and intermittent in nature, and is delivered on the basis of how the particular authorities or project staff understand housing support. As a result, in any given project, housing support is rarely comprehensively packaged. It is also largely an unfunded mandate. Thirdly, at project level, the thesis establishes that many of the problems that confront consolidating households can be attributed to projects that are poorly planned from the outset, and that support in this regard lies in the development of capacity at municipal level, to plan projects that have the potential to be consolidated in the first instance. As its main contribution, the thesis develops a multidimensional, comprehensive framework for packaging housing support. One dimension specifies upfront, the support elements considered important in the pre- and post-subsidy phases of the project, as well as in the project implementation phase. The exact form these would take in any project would be informed by the project and beneficiary characteristics. The second dimension packages the institutional roles for housing support, thereby removing the institutional ambivalence towards the housing support function, and specifying the institutional and role changes needed to enable housing support to occur. The third dimension packages support according to project type, indicating which forms of support apply to all types of projects, and which to specific modes of delivery in the South African context. The study concludes that while current housing policy is clear on the need to support households to meet consolidation goals, specificity of both process and actions needs to be lent to housing support practice. The multidimensional support package developed by the study is deemed a useful tool in providing such specificity, and clarifying how support for housing consolidation in South Africa should be set up in both policy and practice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Ongoing quality concerns in low Income housing have allegedly not been addressed adequately, as has been expressed in numerous speeches and at the Provincial Housing Summit of 2005. This study is an investigation into quality concerns in house construction in governmentsubsidised low-income housing projects in the Pietermaritzburg area. It is informed by total quality management literature. It is motivated by aspects including: (1) government's accountability for public funds; (2) serving as base research for improved resource allocation; (3) and for quality improvement and sustainability strategies; (4) creating an opportunity for introspection by other members in the supply chain; and (5) a responsibility of all stakeholders to realise the ultimate goal of customer satisfaction. Research Design The following research objectives were set: (I) To identify house construction quality concerns in government-subsidised lowincome housing projects in the Pietermaritzburg area. (2) ... To identify the causes of house construction quality problems in the low income housing delivery environment within the Pietermaritzburg area, from the perspective of the developers, municipality and Department of Housing : KwaZulu-Natal. In the context of this research, "developer" is defined as the entity used by the Department or the municipality as an agent for implementing projects. (3) .. To identify how house construction quality issues are currently being addressed. The research was approached in two phases. Phase I was designed to identify whether quality concerns existed in the low income housing projects in the Pietermaritzburg area; and to identify the nature and the extent thereof. Phase 2 was designed to explore the perceived causes of quality concerns, and to identify the systems used by the municipality, its developing agent and the Department of Housing, to ensure sustained quality management. Findings Defects : The findings recorded in Chapter 5 illustrate that there are quality concerns in Pietermaritzburg in relation to government-subsidised low-income housing which were caused mainly by poor workmanship, especially the topping of slabs (i.e., the process in which a final layer of cement is applied to smoothen the floor surface, also refelTed to as "screeding"). The Pareto analysis'indicates that there is a mixture of defect types and causes that need to be addressed, and in order of priority_ These are : (I) screeding; (2) water connection; (3) fitting frames; (4) site clearance; (5) constructions of walls; (6) plumbing, specifically toilet fittings; (7) glazing; (8) corking/filling of gaps; (9) plaster material; (l0) door quality; (11) plaster work; and (12) the quality of frames. Existing systems, norms and standards: Role players are at different stages of advancement with regard to quality and supply chain management. The institutions appear to have an internal focus to quality management that is not customer focussed and lacks information and involvement of all stakeholders. There is no formalised policy on quality management. Such a policy is needed to guide quality improvement and monitoring systems (Gryna, 200 I: 185). The institutions do not appear to have a quality management strategy, or to have a fully integrated quality perspective. Quality assurance and audit process are also lacking. Neither the municipality nor the Department appears to use statistical process control systems to measure and analyse all processes. It appears that the proper infrastructure is not in place to implement a quality management system. Information systems are poor and this is a barrier to effective quality improvement implementation programmes, and to effective project management. There is no common understanding of roles, responsibilities and inspection criteria and processes and internal and external role players are excluded from quality management processes. The management environment and organisational culture within the municipality and the department do not appear to be conducive to encourage a learning organisation approach. Materials quality is not monitored, although it is noted that materials are not perceived to be the cause, and from the sample it is clear that materials have not contributed much to defects. Recommendations: These have been summarised as follows: I. The adoption of a quality management policy that incorporates all stakeholders; 2. The inclusion of quality management in strategic plans with a phased implementation programme; 3. Partnership development and joint planning with all role players; 4. Use of larger contracts, over a longer period of time through a programmatic systems approach; 5. Identification ofbenchmarking partners; 6. The adoption of an audit and assurance mechanism, based on ISO 9000; 7. Development of a learning organisation and change management culture, led from the top; 8. The inclusion of quality performance targets in managers' performance reviews; 9. Clearly defined inspections procedures and documents (including roles and responsibilities), and availability of these on site; 10. Information management systems upgrading; 11. Revision to National Building Regulations in the context of low-income housing; 12. Improved municipal strategies on water connection; 13. On site training regarding topping of slabs, fitting windows and door frames and block work; and 14. Training of all managers and staff on all aspects of quality management theory, tools and techniques, and specifically in relation to low-income housing. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Thesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Low-cost housing is always an important / a weighty topic for discussion in South Africa and the construction or occupation of such houses often makes media headlines. The media usually raises the negative aspects of such housing, for instance, the fact that these houses are sometimes poorly constructed, or that the administration systems for allocating such houses to their new owners are often faulty, or that physical access to them is limited, particularly for people with disabilities, and that social interactions among the inhabitants of these houses is often problematic. It therefore appears that the ‘design for all’ – or ‘Universal Design’ – approach has not been considered during the design phases of these developments. Although Universal Design is not a new concept, the South African National Building Regulations has a section specially for creating physical access, but it is not widely practiced or implemented in South Africa, let alone with the local housing sector. There is general lack of awareness, technical know-how for the implementation and a lack of enforceable penalties for non-compliance with this specific section of the Building Regulations (SANS 10400 Part S of 2011). This study aims to investigate some of the socio-technical issues that have arisen in the low-cost housing sector, by specifically focusing on informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa. During the period of apartheid, pre-1994, population groups in South Africa were segregated into separate residential areas; the aftermath of this is still prevalent, as is the continued exclusion of marginalized groups within the low-cost housing sector. Data was collected through interviews with various people within the professional sector including Architects, experts in Universal Design and people from organisations that specialise in the planning/design/construction of low-cost Housing in Cape Town, focusing on the lack of a more community orientated design approach that utilises the principles of Universal Design as well as Universal Access building audits. Such audits were conducted on houses and communities that were constructed prior to 2004, on houses and communities that were designed and constructed after the passing of the Breaking New Ground (BNG) policy (2010), as well as on proposed new housing designs that were being considered for the future construction. The audits looked at general circulation spaces, community involvement, sustainability and means of construction. On the basis of these highlighted elements, in conjunction with the tender requirements of low-cost housing, and the findings of the interviews / National Research Foundation

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The study investigates the effectiveness of quality assurance systems in the delivery of low-cost houses in Cape Town South Africa. As an endeavor to deliver adequate social housing in Cape Town‟s disadvantaged and underdeveloped communities, the study is aimed at ensuring that National Housing Code as set by Department of Human Settlement concerning the overall resultant quality of houses constructed is adhered to. There are several studies on resultant quality and quality assurance of low-cost houses (LCH) in the entire country, of which skill inadequacy has been highlighted as the major concern. This is because of the sluggish improvement in quality of the low-cost houses constructed. However, skill inadequacy of construction workers has been reported in developed and developing countries, and consequently poorly impacts on the delivery of low-cost house construction projects. The human resource (labour) is the significant tool to adequate use of materials and plant for the achievement of the project objectives. The study identified six objectives directed towards establishing an instrument that will ensure appropriate application of quality assurance systems in the delivery of low-cost house construction, hence improving the resultant quality of low-cost houses being constructed. The first objective identifies the existence, prevalence and depth of the poor resultant quality in low-cost housing areas; the second objective identifies the quality assurance systems in current use in construction of low-cost housing; the third objective evaluates the extent to which the existing quality assurance systems used assist in current low-cost housing construction; the fourth objective evaluates the effectiveness of quality assurance systems in current use; and fifth objective determines whether the poor resultant quality is the consequence of poor application of the system or the lack of knowledge from the professionals involved. Finally, the last objective is to establish the mechanism to ensure the effective use of quality assurance systems in the construction of low-cost houses. The research adopted a mixed methodological approach, with a use of quantitative questionnaires completed by beneficiaries and structured qualitative interviews conducted with the building inspectors, contractor and designer. The research questionnaires were designed to understand the perceptions of beneficiaries on the day to day structural performance of their houses. The structured interviews were designed to understand the knowledge of building inspectors, the contractor and the designer about the quality assurance systems and their applications in the delivery of low-cost houses, In the main study, one hundred (100) questionnaires were administered and hand- delivered to all three areas identified as Delft, Khayelitsha and Langa. Seventy three (73) questionnaires (73%) were duly completed, returned and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The key findings included the use of unskilled workmanship, limited knowledge of quality assurance systems by the building inspector, contractor and designer, and inappropriate procurement systems as well as benchmarking used. This thesis is both theoretical and practical research and is limited to books relevant to quality assurance and quality of low-cost houses and data retrieved from interviews and questionnaire surveys. The selection criteria for inspectors should incorporate skill in quality assurance. The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) criteria for appointment of contractors to carry on works should not be just a saying but also be put into practice. It should also at least refer to three previous completed projects to ensure the profile of the contractor is in accordance with the statutory requirements of NHBRC.

The purpose of this study was to document seven selected sets of minimum housing design standards in two specific case locations, New Delhi and Madras, in India, and to evaluate criteria used for establishing these standards. A model of selected criteria from the different frameworks was then developed as part of an overall housing strategy. An integrated concept of housing as an environment, need, process and product was used as the basis of this study which was documented through review of literature and field research in India. The minimum standards were broadly classified as minimum space requirements, recommended building materials and general subdivision requirements. variations and ranges across the sets of standards were then tabulated to indicate the multiplicity of recommendati0ns, an initial premise of this study. Implications, based on broad premises, for future strategies in this field were developed. These suggestions were grouped into three clusters, namely, access to shelter by the abjectly poor, access to shelter by the low income groups in general and the restructuring of extant institutional and implementation frameworks. / Master of Science

Thesis (MPA (Public Administration))--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / 105 leaves single sided printed, preliminary pages i-xii and numbered pages 1-92.Includes bibliography and list of tables and figures. / Scanned using a Hp Scanjet 8250 Scanner to pdf format (OCR). / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study assessed the performance of South Africa's Housing Policy in Ivory Park, an informal settlement in Midrand. The study used effectiveness, efficiency, equity, responsiveness and affordability, as criteria for assessment. Research was carried out using a literature review; and face-to-face interviews with officials from the Midrand Metropolitan Local Council, and the residents of Ivory Park who had already moved into the newly built houses. The study found that the performance of the policy in Ivory Park is mixed. From the point of view of effectiveness, the policy has had a positive impact on the lives of beneficiaries. The bigger picture of housing delivery, and the way the policy is being assessed by other spheres of government however, has reduced assessment of the policy to the numbers of housing built, and not taken sufficient consideration of the value of other elements of the policy. The greatest efficiency drawback has been the speed of implementation. The policy is moving at a relatively slow pace. The distribution of the resources of the policy has been equitable, in that the unemployed and households with irregular incomes have been reached by the housing policy. However, there have been difficulties in stimulating the local materials supply industries in the area, but efforts have gone into activating that part. The policy has been responsive, and beneficiaries are satisfied with the role played by the local authority, community organisations and contractors involved in housing delivery. Although the new houses built have not themselves adversely affected the cost of living of beneficiaries, the poverty level in the area, would continue to make services such as housing, unaffordable to households. The study recommends that in future, there be increased consultations with intended beneficiaries of a housing policy, in order to align the views of policymakers with those of beneficiaries. There is also a need to develop indicators that take into account all the objectives government pursues in the housing sector. The local authority should also track ownership of the built houses, to ensure that any change in ownership does not compromise the welfare of beneficiaries, and lead to the subsidisation of housing acquisitions of well-off households. Housing polices should have a more economic development slant, as the new services coming with housing would not have a greater impact in situations of persistent poverty. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die Suid-Afrikaanse Behuisingsbeleid beoordeel in Ivory Park, 'n informele nedersetting in Midrand. Hierdie beoordeling het die volgende kriteria gebruik, te wete doeltreffendheid, doelmatigheid, eweredigheid, die respons van die inwoners en bekostigbaarheid deur die inwoners. Navorsing is uitgevoer deur middel van 'n literatuuroorsig en persoonlike onderhoude met Raadslede van die Midrandse Metropolitaanse Raad asook die inwoners van Ivory Park wat alreeds in hul nuutgeboude wonings ingetrek het. Die studie het gemengde bevindings ten opsigte van die beleid binne Ivory Park opgelewer. Vanuit 'n doelmatigheidsoogpunt gesien het die beleid 'n positiewe uitwerking op die lewens van die begunstigdes uitgeoefen. Binne die groter geheel van behuisingsvoorsiening, asook die manier waarop die beleid beoordeel word deur ander regeringsfere, blyk dit egter dat die beleid slegs beoordeel word op grond van die aantal wooneenhede gelewer sonder om die ander elemente van die behuisingsbeleid te verdiskonteer. Die implementeringspoed van die beleid was die grootste nadeel vanuit 'n doeltreffendheidsoogpunt gesien aangesien die beleid teen 'n relatiewe stadige pas beweeg. Die bronne van die beleid is eweredig versprei deurdat werkloses en huishoudings met ongereelde inkomste deur die beleid bevoordeel is. Probleme is ook ondervind met die stimulasie van plaaslike boumateriaal voorsieningsindustrieel binne die gebied, maar inisiatiewe is geloods om die gedeelte te aktiveer. Die respons van die gemeenskap, binne die konteks van behuisingsvoorsiening, dui ook op hul tevredenheid met die rol van die plaaslike owerheid, gemeenskapsorganisasies en die betrokke kontrakteurs. Alhoewel die nuwe behuising nie die lewenskoste van die begunstigdes nadelig beinvloed het nie, dra die hoe armoede vlak in die omgewing daartoe by dat behuising vir vele inwoners onbekostigbaar bly. Die studie beveel aan dat daar in die toekoms toenemend met die beoogde begunstigdes van die behuisingsbeleid gekonsulteer moet word ten einde die sienings van die beleidmakers en die begunstigdes in ooreenstemming te bring. Ontwikkelingsindikatore en regeringsdoelwitte moet ook in berekening gebring word binne die behuisingsektor. Die plaaslike owerheid moet ook die eienaarskap van die nuwe wooneenhede navolg om te verseker dat eienaarskap nie die welsyn van die begunstigdes negatief affekteer nie, of dat dit nie lei tot die subsidering van die meer gegoedes in die verkryging van wooneenhede nie. Die behuisingbeleid moet ook 'n groter ekonomiese onderbou he ten einde armoede te bekamp.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning