Small-scale rental housing

The blog post discusses the rapid growth of small‑scale rental housing in South Africa’s major cities and argues that, despite being largely informal and non‑compliant with planning regulations, it offers major benefits such as affordable accommodation, local economic development, and social transformation. It highlights more than a decade of research by HSRC scholars Andreas Scheba and Ivan Turok, whose work has helped shift government and public attitudes from neglect or hostility toward a more supportive, developmental approach. Through extensive studies, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships particularly with organisations like DAG and National Treasury’s Cities Support Programme, the researchers have provided evidence on the sector’s scale, quality, regulatory barriers, and potential, influencing reforms, streamlining regulations, and building momentum for a national action agenda. The post emphasises that meaningful policy change in this sector results from long‑term collaboration, consistent research, and strong relationships across government, civil society, and communities.

Abstract based on original source.