Releasing municipal land for affordable housing

Abstract

The South African government owns large amounts of vacant land, much of it in areas where affordable housing would enable economic inclusion of poor and marginalised communities. However, the release and development of this land has been extremely slow. This land is a valuable resource which, through affordable housing, could help address the chronic shortage of such accommodation in desirable locations and counteract the typically exclusionary character of the property market in many urban areas of South Africa. The report presents steps to assist stakeholders, including government bodies, private partners, and non-profit developers, in mitigating procedural errors, excessive delays and opaque rules governing the release of public land.