The WC Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning yesterday presented to the provincial legislature its draft Western Cape Government Inclusionary Housing Policy Framework – a first for any province to do so. This will go a long way to addressing the legacy of apartheid spatial planning which still impacts our communities today.
MPP van der Westhuizen says: “After studying multiple international case studies, the draft policy will be able to facilitate affordable housing in high-valued locations. Not only would this allow middle-to-low income households to live in well-situated areas and thus provide them access to better opportunities, but also ensuring long-term social and economic sustainability for our settlements.
By establishing a framework, it will incentivise private developers to include affordable or social housing options in their respective market-driven developments. These opportunities, whether for purchase or hire, would have to be at a cheaper price or rate than the other units available in that specific development.
Additionally, the framework will establish a clearer intergovernmental relationship between the province and local municipalities in the Western Cape. In doing so, it will allow cities or municipalities with developing property markets to form Inclusionary Housing Overlay Zones in which affordable housing options can be encouraged or further developed on pre-existing properties.
Over the years, due to the lack of critical policy framework, the gap between subsidised housing or public rental stocks and opportunities from the private sector has grown immensely. Due to 46% of South Africa’s housing market earning between R10 000 and R26 000 per month, many households earning in the upper-income bracket do not qualify for public programmes that provide assistance.
As the DA in the Western Cape, we will be monitoring how many Western Cape municipalities will be adopting inclusionary housing policies once the framework has been adopted. It is essential that once this policy is active that we allow for many struggling households to benefit.”
To own or live in a home is both a constitutional right and essential for one’s wellbeing. Once again, this initiative is indicative of the Western Cape Government’s goal to ensuring that all residents are given a sense a dignity.
