An evaluation of the post occupancy experience of housing subsidy beneficiaries in South Africa : a case study of Gauteng

M.Tech.South Africa is one of the countries in the world that has delivered the highest number of houses to the poor through various delivery mechanisms. This was done to fulfill her vision of adequate housing for all, as reflected in the National Housing Policy framework. Over the last fifteen years, the African National Congress [ANC] led government has vigorously ensured that essential services were made available to advance the lives of ordinary people. Since 1994 to date, about 2 700 000 houses have been delivered, providing more than 13 million people with secure homes. One of the housing strategies, as contained in the National Housing Policy of 1994, was to provide subsidy assistance to low income groups to enable them to become home owners and improve their quality of life. The Housing Subsidy Scheme, adopted as the channel of delivery, has to date helped reduce the housing backlog and is tending to reach the goal of eradicating informal settlement by 2014. This research work is an evaluation of the post-occupancy experience of housing subsidy beneficiaries. The study evaluated satisfaction levels of subsidy beneficiaries, what beneficiaries actual do with the subsidized houses after they have been allocated to them, to ascertain if the subsidized houses have improved the beneficiaries’ lives. It also evaluates if the progressive strategy of housing to South Africa citizens is being realised; as well as determining government commitment in maintaining these houses. The methodology used for the study was both qualitative and quantitative. The quantitative research was conducted in four already established housing subsidy locations in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province of South Africa. A structured questionnaire with dichotomous, multiple choice, scaled, matrixtype and open-ended questions was used to conduct interviews and obtain data during the survey. Findings from the study revealed that the progressive strategy of housing is successful in fulfilling its vision to supply adequate housing to all its citizens. However, beneficiaries are not satisfied with the subsidized houses, because of the units’ sizes. Also, defects occurred in the houses delivered. These defects include roof leakages, cracks in walls, lack of finishing internally and externally, and defects in roof trusses. The cause of these defects was a result of poor quality control mechanisms put in place by the Department of Housing. Lastly, it was also revealed that the government has no plans in place to prevent slum conditions in the subsidized housing areas, by means of a well structured maintenance system. Based on the findings from the study, it is recommended that the Department of Housing and administrator of subsidized housing units in Gauteng should conduct a complete and thorough needs analysis of the beneficiaries of a proposed housing subsidy development, it is also recommended that government should provide as wide a choice of housing and tenure options as is reasonably possible. This can be achieved through the rental housing option. It is further recommended that the Gauteng Department of Housing should set up an independent section to carry out monitoring of subsidized houses during construction and formulate an appropriate maintenance culture that will help in encouraging beneficiaries to maintaining the subsidized house. In addition, the Department of Housing should move beyond the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing as contained in the South Africa Constitution, to the use of the housing to improve the lives of the citizens and lastly, the Gauteng Department of Housing should conduct more post-occupancy evaluations of housing subsidy beneficiaries’ experiences. By conducting more POE, the Department of Housing will be well informed of the satisfaction levels of the occupants whether the house is up to standard, if the houses have improved the lives of occupants and what actually they are doing with the houses once they are allocated to them