Reports by Andreas Scheba
Development Action Group, 2022
SHLC Research Summary 01, 2020
This research analyses how the urban form and internal structure of the city of Cape Town, South ... more This research analyses how the urban form and internal structure of the city of Cape Town, South Africa, has changed in recent decades. Using satellite imagery and census data, it examines overall disparities in growth, internal socioeconomic dynamics and infrastructure within the city. An innovative, data-driven method is used to identify and compare distinct neighbourhood types that make up the city's physical, social and economic fabric.
Research Papers, 2020
More could be done to improve the chances of upward mobility for tenants of social housing in Sou... more More could be done to improve the chances of upward mobility for tenants of social housing in South Africa. The social housing policy makes no mention of upward mobility for tenants, even though this is implicit within the objectives of reducing socio-economic and spatial inequalities. We evaluate evidence of tenant level outcomes from a sample of 1,636 households living in 10 social housing projects in
Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini and Cape Town. The findings present a very mixed picture of the impact of social housing on such outcomes, including racial integration and upward income mobility.
Failure to demonstrate household success risks jeopardising the credibility of the programme. A clear recommendation for policymakers is to update the national monitoring and evaluation framework to
include regular collection of socio-economic information on tenants in order to assess the extent to which their circumstances improve over time.
Research Papers, 2021
Social housing is a powerful tool to integrate divided cities by providing decent rental accommod... more Social housing is a powerful tool to integrate divided cities by providing decent rental accommodation for low- and moderate-income working
families. It can bring communities together in dense urban areas with plentiful opportunities, and revitalise rundown inner cities. Success
depends on several enabling conditions: capable social housing agencies, viable subsidy levels, well-located land, support across government, private sector involvement and determined implementation.
The paper maps the spatial distribution of all social housing projects built in South Africa’s seven largest cities since the 1990s. It reveals a steady ‘spatial drift’ of new projects from inner urban areas towards outlying areas. This contradicts the objectives of urban restructuring and
social integration. The dispersal trend has been driven by the high cost of private land and the failure to make surplus public land available.
Recommendations are offered to steer social housing schemes back towards well located areas.
HSRC Research Report, 2019
Report for the Policy and Research Directorate Department of Human Settlements Western Cape Government, 2018
Papers by Andreas Scheba
African Studies Review, Mar 22, 2023
The Journal of Modern African Studies
In South Africa, informal rental accommodation constructed in the backyards of formal houses is t... more In South Africa, informal rental accommodation constructed in the backyards of formal houses is the fastest growing housing segment. These backyard dwellings (BDs) are makeshift structures made from timber frames, metal sheets or wooden planks. Despite the proliferation of BDs, national and local governments have done little to improve the living standards of backyard dwellers. The research uses focus groups, interviews and building surveys to examine the current state of backyard dwellings and identify opportunities and barriers for government interventions. We analyse the barriers to home improvements, highlighting the important role of tenant dignity and landlord-tenant relations. Furthermore, the research discusses the challenges of potential government-led interventions, which could easily fail in the context of resistance, mistrust and anxiety over housing. We present four key considerations that any intervention to upgrade BDs in South Africa or similar rental units in other ...
African Studies Review
Informality is growing with Africa’s rapid urbanization. Much like residents of other types of in... more Informality is growing with Africa’s rapid urbanization. Much like residents of other types of informal housing, backyard dwellers face overall poor living conditions and political marginalization. However, backyard residents are in an ambiguous legal area and have been far less politically active and organized to pursue their rights to adequate housing. Using a qualitative case study of backyard residents in three Cape Town neighborhoods, Harris, Scheba, and Rice bridge theories of infrastructural citizenship and collective action to shed light on how informality may undermine collective action, and they identify four factors influencing collective action.
Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, 2021
Social housing has the potential to contribute to economic inclusion and urban integration if it ... more Social housing has the potential to contribute to economic inclusion and urban integration if it is well-located. However, this is complicated by economic forces that shape land and property markets and constrain the ability of social housing organisations to afford suitable sites for development on the open market. The paper shows how South Africa’s transformative vision for social housing has been diluted by the gradual spatial drift of projects from the accessible urban core towards outlying areas. Poor coordination has meant that social housing organisations have operated in relative isolation without the consistent government support required to obtain surplus public land in well-situated areas.
Regional Studies, Regional Science
AFD Research Papers, 2021
Social housing is a powerful tool to integrate divided cities by providing decent rental accommod... more Social housing is a powerful tool to integrate divided cities by providing decent rental accommodation for low- and moderate-income working families. It can bring communities together in dense urban areas with plentiful opportunities, and revitalise rundown inner cities. Success depends on several enabling conditions: capable social housing agencies, viable subsidy levels, well-located land, support across government, private sector involvement and determined implementation. The paper maps the spatial distribution of all social housing projects built in South Africa’s seven largest cities since the 1990s. It reveals a steady ‘spatial drift’ of new projects from inner urban areas towards outlying areas. This contradicts the objectives of urban restructuring and social integration. The dispersal trend has been driven by the high cost of private land and the failure to make surplus public land available. Recommendations are offered to steer social housing schemes back towards well located areas.
Uploads
Reports by Andreas Scheba
Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini and Cape Town. The findings present a very mixed picture of the impact of social housing on such outcomes, including racial integration and upward income mobility.
Failure to demonstrate household success risks jeopardising the credibility of the programme. A clear recommendation for policymakers is to update the national monitoring and evaluation framework to
include regular collection of socio-economic information on tenants in order to assess the extent to which their circumstances improve over time.
families. It can bring communities together in dense urban areas with plentiful opportunities, and revitalise rundown inner cities. Success
depends on several enabling conditions: capable social housing agencies, viable subsidy levels, well-located land, support across government, private sector involvement and determined implementation.
The paper maps the spatial distribution of all social housing projects built in South Africa’s seven largest cities since the 1990s. It reveals a steady ‘spatial drift’ of new projects from inner urban areas towards outlying areas. This contradicts the objectives of urban restructuring and
social integration. The dispersal trend has been driven by the high cost of private land and the failure to make surplus public land available.
Recommendations are offered to steer social housing schemes back towards well located areas.
Papers by Andreas Scheba
Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini and Cape Town. The findings present a very mixed picture of the impact of social housing on such outcomes, including racial integration and upward income mobility.
Failure to demonstrate household success risks jeopardising the credibility of the programme. A clear recommendation for policymakers is to update the national monitoring and evaluation framework to
include regular collection of socio-economic information on tenants in order to assess the extent to which their circumstances improve over time.
families. It can bring communities together in dense urban areas with plentiful opportunities, and revitalise rundown inner cities. Success
depends on several enabling conditions: capable social housing agencies, viable subsidy levels, well-located land, support across government, private sector involvement and determined implementation.
The paper maps the spatial distribution of all social housing projects built in South Africa’s seven largest cities since the 1990s. It reveals a steady ‘spatial drift’ of new projects from inner urban areas towards outlying areas. This contradicts the objectives of urban restructuring and
social integration. The dispersal trend has been driven by the high cost of private land and the failure to make surplus public land available.
Recommendations are offered to steer social housing schemes back towards well located areas.