Beneficiary participation in subsidy-based housing development : a comparative case study analysis of three housing projects in the Cape Metropolitan Area

• Main Author: Ollis, Dean Justin
• Other Authors: Sowman, Merle
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Environmental and Geographical Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7677

Bibliography: leaves 108-112. === In this dissertation, it is proposed that the level of satisfaction experienced by the beneficiaries of subsidy-based housing is strongly dependent on the degree of involvement by the beneficiaries in the decision-making process associated with housing development initiatives. A comparative case study analysis of three subsidy-based housing developments in the Cape Metropolitan Area (CMA) has been undertaken. One of the case studies was a housing project in Philippi East that forms part of the Integrated Serviced Land Project (iSLP), while another was a cross-subsidised housing project that forms part of an integrated development initiative at Westlake. The third case study was a People's Housing Process (PHP) project in Ocean View. The major obstacles to effective beneficiary participation in the three case study projects have been identified and discussed in this dissertation. It is suggested that many of these obstacles would be applicable to other subsidy-based housing developments in the CMA. Key lessons have been drawn as to how these common obstacles to participation in subsidy-based housing development could be overcome. The key lessons that emerged are as follows: * It is important that the housing development process is effectively facilitated. * There is a need for capacity building to form an integral component of all subsidy-based housing development projects. * Beneficiary control over the finances for subsidy-based housing development projects should be promoted. It is proposed that, if these suggestions are taken into account in subsidy-based housing developments, a relatively high degree of beneficiary participation should be realised and, subsequently, increased levels of satisfaction should be experienced amongst beneficiaries. This dissertation also proposes that subsidy-based housing projects implemented by means of the PHP (as opposed to the conventional developer-built route) should be characterised by effective process facilitation, relatively high levels of capacity building and a high degree of beneficiary control over development finances if they are carried out properly. Consequently, many of the common obstacles to beneficiary participation in subsidy-based housing development in South Africa could be overcome by effectively following-the inherently participatory PHP route to housing delivery.