HOUSING ROUNDTABLES - POLICY AND RESEARCH
Based on a multiplicity of research projects on housing issues in Yeoville, Yeoville Studio initiated a series of roundtables where its researchers (junior and senior academics) entered in dialogue with housing professionnals and officials interested in debating housing strategies for Johannesburg inner city.
Three roundtables were organised in November 2011, by Sarah Charlton, from the Wits School of Architecture and Planning, with the assistance of Simon Mayson, Yeoville Studio administrative coordinator and a masters student in Housing.
The main areas of debate are presented by Sarah Charlton in: Housing in Yeoville-Bellevue: living from low-income living in an inner city suburb.
Considering that opacity, lack of information and weak residents mobilisation contributed to the perpetuation of indecent housing in Yeoville, in the absence of prospects of more structural housing policy reform for the inner city, the roundtables led to a practical joint project between Yeoville Studio in CUBES, and the Socio Economic Rights Institute: the consolidation of housing booklets recaping the rights and duties of tenants, landlords, and sectional title owners.
Session 1 (9 Nov 2011) : What kind of affordable accommodation could be appropriate in Yeoville?
- Who are the providers of appropriate affordable accommodation in Yeoville?
- What form does this accommodation take? (in terms of built form, institutional arrangements, financial arrangements, terms and conditions and so on)
- What is significant about this arrangement?
- Who is accessing this accommodation?
Speakers:
Renney Plitt, AFHCO
Med Kwesiga, Trust for Urban Housing Finance
Alison Wilson, Housing Consultant
Jak Koseff, City of Johannesburg
Simon Sizwe Mayson, Wits Yeoville Studio
Kirsten Doërmann, Wits Yeoville Studio
Lone Poulsen, ACG Development Planners and Architects
Margot Rubin, Wits University and Housing Consultant (Chair)
Session 2 (16 Nov 2011): What management issues arise with affordable accommodation, and how can these issues be addressed?
- Physical infrastructure - engineering services, occupational densities etc
- Occupants – affordability, income fluctuations and constraints, sub-tenancy, highjacking etc
- How are these addressed and what could facilitate a better arrangement?
Speakers:
Rory Gallocher, Johannesburg Social Housing Company
Jens Pederson, Médecins Sans Frontierès
Zunaid Khan, City of Johannesburg Department of Housing
Claire Bénit-Gbaffou and Margot Rubin, Wits Yeoville Studio
Kate Tissington, Socio Economic Rights Institute
Tanya Zack, Tanya Zack Development Planners (Respondent)
Marie Huchzermeyer, Wits University School of Architecture and Planning (Chair)
Session 3 (23 Nov 2011) : Housing, the economy and the neighbourhood
- What land uses and activities can be prompted by high density low-income living and how should these be managed?
- What housing models address the accommodation/ income generation relationship?
Speakers:
Josie Adler, eKhaya Neighbourhood Programme
Tanya Zack, Tanya Zack Development Planners
Melinda Silverman, University of Johannesburg, architect and urban development consultant
Mpho Matsipa, Wits Yeoville Studio
Mamokete Matjomane, Wits Yeoville Studio
Yasmeen Dinath, NRF: SARChI, Development Planning and Modelling, Wits University (Respondent)
Neil Klug, Wits Yeoville Studio (Chair)
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