Value-based perspectives of stakeholders' building requirements in low cost and government subsidised housing projects in South Africa

Abstract

Purpose – South Africa still has a considerable housing shortage. Government has tried to overcome this situation by creating programs to provide affordable housing to poor people. However, such housing is either often rejected by the beneficiaries or these express considerable dissatisfaction. This paper thus examines how value is constructed by key role players by looking at the building requirements that they promote, and asks whether there are any significant differences between the perceptions of housing providers and that of end-users, based on building requirements and location indicators. The rationale for the paper stems from the detection that low cost housing projects provided by government housing departments in South Africa (specifically, within the Western Cape Province) are either abandoned or considered non-satisfactory by beneficiaries and, therefore, seemingly not valued by them. This leads to the perception that low cost housing developments are unsustainable. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used in the paper is based on value management, and urban and social studies literature, and on a multi-case study comprising of three low-cost housing developments. Findings – Results show that there are significant differences between the perception of key role players regarding what are important building requirements and location indicators and the corresponding end-user preferences based on location of the development. Research limitations/implications – Following the qualitative research approach used in the research, the main study limitations encountered include communication, because the low cost housing beneficiaries are predominately non-English speaking and have low level of literacy. This required the use of oral interviews, interpreters and translation of a significant number of the surveys into English. The data collected are therefore limited to the accuracy of the translations made by the translator. Practical implications – Results suggest that end-user preferences must be taken into consideration by the government and the design team when planning low-cost housing developments in South Africa, and that this could be achieved by involving the end-users in decision-making during the low-cost housing development process. Originality/value – This paper is of value to the national and provincial government in South Africa because it outlines the reasons for the lack of happiness and satisfaction among the poor and disadvantaged members of the community in the low cost government subsidised housing, and it suggests steps that can be taken by government to mitigate the housing problems. The paper is also of value to other key stakeholders such as the design consultants, contractors and government officials involved in the housing delivery process.