Shap(e)ing up service delivery

Abstract

Service delivery Nearly 10% of South African households still reside in informal settlements where they live mostly in shacks made of corrugated iron, cardboard and other rudimentary materials. These areas are overcrowded and prone to fires and flooding, with limited access to basic services. The integration of informal areas into South Africa’s urban fabric has been high on government’s list of priorities in the last few years. Since 1994 around 2,6 million low-cost houses have been constructed. Last year, the Department of Housing announced its intention to fast-track delivery of housing with the objective of accommodating all those seeking homes within formally planned settlements by 2014. The department is targeting a delivery rate of 500 000 units a year (the present housing delivery rate is about 260 000 units a year). To achieve this, the housing budget is projected to grow from R9-billion in 2007 to R10,6-billion in 2008/09 and R15,3-billion by 2010/11, at an average annual rate of 19,4%. Housing costs are made up of a number of variables.

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