Affordable housing shortage 'stifles market' - South Africa
Lack of affordable housing was a major obstacle to sustained demand in the housing sector and could lead to the slowing of house price growth to single digits later this year, a property group said yesterday."Without growing demand, price growth will decline," Harcourts Africa said. Chief executive Martin Schultheiss said the South African market's greatest need was in the essential buying category. "People need an affordable roof over their heads, as opposed to leisure or speculative buying."It was not only essential that greater volumes of affordable units were brought to market, not only for prospective owner-buyers but also for the affordable rental market, where better stock levels would spur greater investment."The household sector remains under pressure, with the latest figures showing the ratio of debt to disposable income still at nearly 80 percent," Schultheiss said. While this painted a rather bleak picture for prospective home owners, especially at the lowest end of the market, it also meant that they would be looking for affordable rental homes if they could not muster the finances to buy their own.
"Developers would do well to take note of this need and adapt development plans to cater for this sector."Although affordability is a common denominator, property investors are also looking for additional features - and developers who want to tap into this market should take heed."Schultheiss said investors wanted compact properties with easy access and hard-wearing surfaces for easy maintenance. "Tenants typically occupy units for an average of two years and landlords are keen to keep refurbishment costs to a minimum at the end of a lease period."Investors might also prefer built-in appliances and pre-paid meters for electricity. "And of course affordable units with low maintenance requirements would find favour among owner-buyers too," he added.
Keywords: - affordable housing, house price growth, development, affordable rental homes, South Africa, property investors, property group, moladi, formwork, construction, market, reduce
Showing posts with label affordable housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affordable housing. Show all posts
Commonwealth Business Council - moladi Building New Partnerships for Sustainable Development
Commonwealth Business Council - moladi Building New Partnerships for Sustainable Development
moladi honored to have been invited by the Commonwealth Business Council to speak in Abuja, Nigeria at the upcoming “Nigeria International Investors Forum” from 15th – 17th September 2010 - “There is a strong demand in all segments of the housing sector in Nigeria, but this session will particularly focus on the provision of affordable housing, where there is perhaps the greatest urgency and opportunity for international investment” -
www.moladi.net
Keywords- moladi, Commonwealth Business Council, moladi Building New Partnerships for Sustainable Development, nigeria, affordable housing, investment, hennie botes
moladi honored to have been invited by the Commonwealth Business Council to speak in Abuja, Nigeria at the upcoming “Nigeria International Investors Forum” from 15th – 17th September 2010 - “There is a strong demand in all segments of the housing sector in Nigeria, but this session will particularly focus on the provision of affordable housing, where there is perhaps the greatest urgency and opportunity for international investment” -
www.moladi.net
Keywords- moladi, Commonwealth Business Council, moladi Building New Partnerships for Sustainable Development, nigeria, affordable housing, investment, hennie botes
Low cost houses For The People
Houses For The People
Shelter is a basic necessity of life. Indeed, apart from food and water, shelter is ranked as the next in the list of needs of man that qualifies to be classified as a human right.Thus the right to shelter, which is universally recognised as a basic social right and enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), is accorded pride of place in many jurisdictions, especially in progressive societies where the principles of quality and the well-being of the masses hold sway.It is no wonder, therefore, that in such progressive societies, homelessness, which is a denial of this important right, is a rare phenomenon, whereas in more affluent, laissez-faire nations, there are more homeless and destitute people.In developing nations such as ours, the issue of rapid and unplanned urbanisation, coupled with underdevelopment and poverty, has brought to the fore the acute housing problem the people have to contend with.In the urban centres where this problem is prevalent and acute, this problem is sometimes masked in the form of squatter settlements or shanty towns at the centre or prime areas of cities.Many working class people and others who have thronged the cities to make a living, because of the absence of alternative means of livelihood in the rural and semi-urban areas, simply cannot afford the prohibitive rents that are charged for the regular and modest houses available for accommodation.It is common in our urban centres for landlords to demand rent advances ranging between two and 10 years at exorbitant rates and completely out of reach of the majority of the people.This, in part, arises from the fact that the demand for houses or homes far outstrips supply and, therefore, there is a big deficit.Over the years, this gap has grown in width and depth into a gulf and with it the housing crisis in many urban centres of the country has aggravated.Governments, over the years, have, through a number of interventions, put up some housing units, mostly dubbed affordable housing, for workers in urban centres.Even though these facilities have provided substantial relief for many workers and their families, many more are still left out in the open. The few private sector housing initiatives for workers have also not gone far to adequately address the problem.It is, therefore, gratifying to note that the government, recognising the housing issue as a human right, has already launched an initiative, in partnership with the private sector, to construct 100,000 housing units across the country over the next eight years.Additionally, 200,000 low-income housing units are to be constructed.We are happy to note that these, in addition to the pledge by the government to complete the various affordable housing projects left hanging from the previous government, will help make a significant dent on the huge housing deficit and bring relief to more working people and their families.We urge the government to ensure that working and low-income people for whom those houses are meant are the ones who get them.We recall with sadness and regret the situation where ministers, party functionaries, wealthy businessmen and women and their cronies were those who rather scrambled for and got these affordable and low-cost housing units, some even before the buildings were completed, leaving out those for whom they were meant.We wish to urge the government and the private sector to join hands to work urgently on bringing down or at least check the escalating prices of building materials such as cement, iron rods, wood and others, as these are responsible for the high cost of houses.
Shelter is a basic necessity of life. Indeed, apart from food and water, shelter is ranked as the next in the list of needs of man that qualifies to be classified as a human right.Thus the right to shelter, which is universally recognised as a basic social right and enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), is accorded pride of place in many jurisdictions, especially in progressive societies where the principles of quality and the well-being of the masses hold sway.It is no wonder, therefore, that in such progressive societies, homelessness, which is a denial of this important right, is a rare phenomenon, whereas in more affluent, laissez-faire nations, there are more homeless and destitute people.In developing nations such as ours, the issue of rapid and unplanned urbanisation, coupled with underdevelopment and poverty, has brought to the fore the acute housing problem the people have to contend with.In the urban centres where this problem is prevalent and acute, this problem is sometimes masked in the form of squatter settlements or shanty towns at the centre or prime areas of cities.Many working class people and others who have thronged the cities to make a living, because of the absence of alternative means of livelihood in the rural and semi-urban areas, simply cannot afford the prohibitive rents that are charged for the regular and modest houses available for accommodation.It is common in our urban centres for landlords to demand rent advances ranging between two and 10 years at exorbitant rates and completely out of reach of the majority of the people.This, in part, arises from the fact that the demand for houses or homes far outstrips supply and, therefore, there is a big deficit.Over the years, this gap has grown in width and depth into a gulf and with it the housing crisis in many urban centres of the country has aggravated.Governments, over the years, have, through a number of interventions, put up some housing units, mostly dubbed affordable housing, for workers in urban centres.Even though these facilities have provided substantial relief for many workers and their families, many more are still left out in the open. The few private sector housing initiatives for workers have also not gone far to adequately address the problem.It is, therefore, gratifying to note that the government, recognising the housing issue as a human right, has already launched an initiative, in partnership with the private sector, to construct 100,000 housing units across the country over the next eight years.Additionally, 200,000 low-income housing units are to be constructed.We are happy to note that these, in addition to the pledge by the government to complete the various affordable housing projects left hanging from the previous government, will help make a significant dent on the huge housing deficit and bring relief to more working people and their families.We urge the government to ensure that working and low-income people for whom those houses are meant are the ones who get them.We recall with sadness and regret the situation where ministers, party functionaries, wealthy businessmen and women and their cronies were those who rather scrambled for and got these affordable and low-cost housing units, some even before the buildings were completed, leaving out those for whom they were meant.We wish to urge the government and the private sector to join hands to work urgently on bringing down or at least check the escalating prices of building materials such as cement, iron rods, wood and others, as these are responsible for the high cost of houses.
Affordable housing South Africa gets boost from French finance institution
Affordable housing South Africa gets boost from French finance institution: "NHFC"
Affordable housing received a boost when Agence Française de Développement (AfD) entered into a loan agreement with the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) on Thursday.The loan agreement is worth 20 million euros (R225 million), the NGFC and AfD said in a joint statement."The funding is intended for social and private rental projects supported by the NHFC," they said.Speaking at the signing ceremony, NHFC chief executive officer Samson Moraba said his organisation would continue to look to partnerships with the private and public sectors to deliver on its mandate."The demand for housing, in the affordable target market supported by the NHFC, continues to be far greater than the supply thereof and the Corporation continues to seek out opportunities to enhance delivery," he said.The project aimed to partly or fully finance activities that had been pre-identified by the AfD."The projects meet the NHFC criteria for social mix; close proximity to areas of employment and transport; and high urban density," the NGFC said AfD said.AfD chief executive officer Jean-Michel Severino said that until recently, downtown Johannesburg had experienced a period of disinvestment and deterioration."We believe the implementation of renovation policies and projects, such as the social housing initiative by NHFC, will attract residents, tourists, businesses and investors to revitalise this urban area," Severino said.The AfD credit line to NHFC would support the rehabilitation of central Johannesburg by, for example, funding corporate programmes such as the Affordable Housing Company (Afhco).
Afhco has been funded by the NHFC for its provision of low-cost housing and urban renewal in Johannesburg.The NHFC said it continued to be a funder of social housing institutions and in the current year had provided funding to projects in all provinces where such projects were being built."AfD as an institution is not new to us as we have enjoyed a healthy and vibrant relationship with them," Moraba said."Together, we have in the past together organised a very successful seminar that attracted influential stakeholders in low-income housing, both national and international."According to Severino, addressing the urgent need for affordable housing in South Africa was one of the imperatives of the AfD."Our funding to public and non-banking bodies such as the NHFC aims to fulfil this," he said.The NHFC was established by the government in 1996 as a development finance institution with the principal mandate of broadening and deepening access to affordable housing finance for the low- to middle-income households.It provides funding support for the residential property market, particularly when finance is not readily available.The funding commitment announced by AfD during its four-day visit to South Africa amounted to R3.5 billion."This was towards socio-economic initiatives by the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Global Rating, Central Energy Fund, Transnet and the Development Bank of Southern Africa," it said in the statement.The AfD also met Capitec Bank and the Airports Company of South Africa. - Sapa
Affordable housing received a boost when Agence Française de Développement (AfD) entered into a loan agreement with the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) on Thursday.The loan agreement is worth 20 million euros (R225 million), the NGFC and AfD said in a joint statement."The funding is intended for social and private rental projects supported by the NHFC," they said.Speaking at the signing ceremony, NHFC chief executive officer Samson Moraba said his organisation would continue to look to partnerships with the private and public sectors to deliver on its mandate."The demand for housing, in the affordable target market supported by the NHFC, continues to be far greater than the supply thereof and the Corporation continues to seek out opportunities to enhance delivery," he said.The project aimed to partly or fully finance activities that had been pre-identified by the AfD."The projects meet the NHFC criteria for social mix; close proximity to areas of employment and transport; and high urban density," the NGFC said AfD said.AfD chief executive officer Jean-Michel Severino said that until recently, downtown Johannesburg had experienced a period of disinvestment and deterioration."We believe the implementation of renovation policies and projects, such as the social housing initiative by NHFC, will attract residents, tourists, businesses and investors to revitalise this urban area," Severino said.The AfD credit line to NHFC would support the rehabilitation of central Johannesburg by, for example, funding corporate programmes such as the Affordable Housing Company (Afhco).
Afhco has been funded by the NHFC for its provision of low-cost housing and urban renewal in Johannesburg.The NHFC said it continued to be a funder of social housing institutions and in the current year had provided funding to projects in all provinces where such projects were being built."AfD as an institution is not new to us as we have enjoyed a healthy and vibrant relationship with them," Moraba said."Together, we have in the past together organised a very successful seminar that attracted influential stakeholders in low-income housing, both national and international."According to Severino, addressing the urgent need for affordable housing in South Africa was one of the imperatives of the AfD."Our funding to public and non-banking bodies such as the NHFC aims to fulfil this," he said.The NHFC was established by the government in 1996 as a development finance institution with the principal mandate of broadening and deepening access to affordable housing finance for the low- to middle-income households.It provides funding support for the residential property market, particularly when finance is not readily available.The funding commitment announced by AfD during its four-day visit to South Africa amounted to R3.5 billion."This was towards socio-economic initiatives by the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, Global Rating, Central Energy Fund, Transnet and the Development Bank of Southern Africa," it said in the statement.The AfD also met Capitec Bank and the Airports Company of South Africa. - Sapa
Low cost housing developments - moladiVILLAGE
A Pattern Language
We begin with that part of the language which defines a town or community. These patterns can never be "designed" or "built" in one fell swoop- but patient piecemeal growth, designed in such a way that every individual act is always helping to create or generate these larger global patterns, will, slowly and surely, over the years, make a community that has these global patterns in it.
Do what you can to establish a world government, with a thousand independent regions, instead of countries.
Independent Regions
With each region work toward those regional policies which will protect the land and mark the limits of the cities.
The Distribution of Towns
City Country Fingers
Agricultural Valleys
Lace of Country Streets
Country Towns
The Countryside
Connect communities to one another by encouraging the growth of networks.
Web of Public Transportation
Ring Roads
Network of Learning
Web of Shopping
Mini-Buses
Between the house clusters, around the centers, and especially in the boundaries between neighborhoods, encourage the formation of work communities;
Work Community
Industrial Ribbon
University as a marketplace
Local Town Hall
Necklace of Community Projects
Market of Many Shops
Health Center
Housing Inbetween
Within the framework of the common land, the clusters, and the work communities encourage transformation of the smallest independent social institutions: the families, workgroups, and gathering places. the family, in all its forms.
The Family
House for a Small Family
House for a Couple
House for One Person
Your Own Home
This is how developments must be done!!
We begin with that part of the language which defines a town or community. These patterns can never be "designed" or "built" in one fell swoop- but patient piecemeal growth, designed in such a way that every individual act is always helping to create or generate these larger global patterns, will, slowly and surely, over the years, make a community that has these global patterns in it.
Do what you can to establish a world government, with a thousand independent regions, instead of countries.
Independent Regions
With each region work toward those regional policies which will protect the land and mark the limits of the cities.
The Distribution of Towns
City Country Fingers
Agricultural Valleys
Lace of Country Streets
Country Towns
The Countryside
Connect communities to one another by encouraging the growth of networks.
Web of Public Transportation
Ring Roads
Network of Learning
Web of Shopping
Mini-Buses
Between the house clusters, around the centers, and especially in the boundaries between neighborhoods, encourage the formation of work communities;
Work Community
Industrial Ribbon
University as a marketplace
Local Town Hall
Necklace of Community Projects
Market of Many Shops
Health Center
Housing Inbetween
Within the framework of the common land, the clusters, and the work communities encourage transformation of the smallest independent social institutions: the families, workgroups, and gathering places. the family, in all its forms.
The Family
House for a Small Family
House for a Couple
House for One Person
Your Own Home
This is how developments must be done!!
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