Western Cape ISSP Rapid Appraisal Close Out Report 2016

The lack of meaningful relationships between municipalities and informal settlement residents is at the source of continued dysfunctional practice in informal settlements, especially as it relates to the provision of basic services. If one considers priorities indicated by informal settlement residents, the following top the list: access to basic services, some form of shelter that offers protection from the rain and cold, and access to employment.

When it comes to community-identified priorities, very little mention is made of formal housing. When it comes to engagement by municipalities, numerical data is often inaccurate due to a focus on housing delivery as a response to informality. If top structure provision ceases as a focus, municipalities can in fact respond to more settlements through basic service delivery and bring other departments on board to look at job creation and access to amenities. The constraint of a housing delivery focus also causes much tension as people inevitably feel that they are shortchanged – especially those, that find themselves on the housing waiting list for over 10 years.

• Western Cape ISSP Rapid Appraisal Close Out Report 2016 
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