In the Era of Global Shocks: A Needs Inquiry on State Provided Housing During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic
Date
2024-02
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
South Africa, like many countries of the South is confronted by a housing crisis, especially in Metropolitan areas. This is because Metropolitan areas are experiencing rapid population growth and, in the process, creating a demand for low-income housing. The state-provided low-income housing, implemented as a remedial intervention, has faced spatial, procedural, and administrative scrutiny, among others. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought housing and human settlements into the spotlight, raising both opportunities and challenges with the resilience of state-provided low income housing. The study has used the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to emphasize and make apparent the various types of housing and settlement needs that should be prioritised to potentially mitigate the impact of future global shocks such as pandemics. Global shocks trigger resilience thinking that is linked to spatial attributes that can potentially reduce and mitigate the impact of disasters and risks. This indicates an opportunity of supporting ‘resilience thinking’ with existing social realities. The study speaks to this gap by diving deep into theoretical discourses of housing needs and practical needs as determined by participants perceptions. This was done by adopting a case study design that follows Wilhelm Dilthey's philosophy of hermeneutics. The Case Study context used was Palm Ridge extension 10 where Breaking New Ground Housing and Military Veteran houses were allocated in November 2019. Interviews were conducted with both municipal officials and beneficiaries of subsidised housing to inquire in-depth about their considerations of housing needs and how they can be met. The findings of the study indicate that there is a correlation between what is perceived as housing needs during the pandemic and some principles of resilience thinking. It identifies two types of housing needs necessary for mitigation, coping, and recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic. The needs identified are technical housing needs which are concerned with the physical structure of a house and settlement, and soft dimensional housing needs which are more symbolic of the relationship residents have with their houses and the overall neighbourhood. Moreover, the study emphasises that the translation of housing needs from theory to practice is to a certain degree challenged by institutional deficiencies. Although state-provided housing is challenged, it has proven a resilient measure in the era of the pandemic when housing insecurities were on the rise. Neighbourhoods like Palm Ridge can potentially adopt evolutionary and transformative resilience due to their flexible nature to cater to changing needs. Therefore, it is apparent that needs inquiry is a complex issue that can be leveraged to stimulate the adoption and development of bottom-up and collaborative responses to shock mitigation.
Description
A Research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Master of Urban Studies in the field of Urban Management, in the School of Architecture and Planning, in 2024.
Keywords
Housing Needs, Covid-19 Pandemic, Global Shocks, State Housing, Needs Inquiry, Low income housing, South Africa, Palm Ridge extension 10, Breaking New Ground Housing, Military Veteran houses, UCTD
Citation
Mogale, Lebogang Lucia. (2024). In the Era of Global Shocks: A Needs Inquiry on State Provided Housing During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38870