An investigation of community participation in housing delivery at the Joe Slovo Settlement in the Western Cape

Abstract

This research endeavours to identify existing participatory structures and explore the role of local government officials, community representatives and other role players in the housing delivery process in Joe Slovo; indicate opportunities for the participation of beneficiaries in the housing process as well as the extent and nature of community engagement; highlight existing barriers to effective community participation and other problems related to housing delivery in Joe Slovo; draw general conclusions within the framework of the government’s housing policy; and provide recommendations to policy makers, urban planners and other stakeholders. Consequently, this research employs qualitative methodological tools as they are most appropriate in the collection of this type of data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with local officials, and observations were used to gather critical information. In addition, secondary data, with a special focus on newspaper articles, were used.