Housing - Breaking the backlog

By May 2000, South Africa's housing backlog stood at three million houses. Although a range of parties provide housing, government is ultimately responsible for ensuring that housing opportunities are provided for all citizens.

The huge backlog accumulated over time, as well as additional pressure from new households entering the housing sector, affects the pace of delivery in housing across the country.

The present government's much-vaunted housing policy is floundering as a result of being ill-conceived and shoddily implemented. A UCDP government would immediately dispense with the policy of providing undignified and poorly constructed match box homes. Instead, we will undertake an accurate inventory of all government-owned land.

Where appropriate this land will be divided, serviced with water, electricity and roads, and allocated to the needy. The new owners will be provided with their title deeds for the land and will be able to use same to begin the process of building the homes of their choice on their land.

Where state land is not available, a UCDP government will acquire the necessary land from present owners on a willing seller, willing buyer basis.

A UCDP-led government will ensure that:

  • Maximum value will be extracted from social housing grants;
  • Good, decent and habitable houses will be available for rental purposes;
  • Co-operative rent-to-buy housing developments will be introduced;
  • The behaviour of unscrupulous landlords will be regulated so that tenants do not pay exhorbitant rents;
  • Serviced sites will be provided to people who enter the housing market and who can afford the cost of a serviced site. This will allow the people to build according to their individual tastes and affordability;
  • Contractors in the social housing industry will be closely monitored to ensure that people get the best product possible.