Who received what, where in the Free State? An assessment of post-apartheid housing delivery and policy (1994–98)

Abstract

This article reflects on the differences and similarities between the housing policies of the World Bank and that of South Africa. It also focuses on the application of South African policy in the Free State and especially pays attention to who the end-beneficiaries are, what the end-product is and what the regional and locational priorities of housing investment are. Furthermore, this article assesses the spatial distribution of housing subsidies, the income levels of end-beneficiaries, and the type of end product that has been delivered. Among other things, it concludes that cities in the Free State have been neglected in terms of housing investment, that the majority of end-beneficiaries fall in the lowest income category, and that double subsidisation has been a common phenomenon in the Free State. A number of critical reflections are also made in terms of future housing policy.