I am not a housing expert, but I have always thought there is something quite insane about Government's housing policy. Where else in the world is a substantial asset simply given away?
The house alone costs about R70 000, and the total cost including land and infrastructure can be as high as R120 000. Transport is also important. Why not give away a R120 000 car based on some system of need?
Since 1994 it is claimed that more than 2.7 million subsidised houses have been built by the government. This is a dubious figure since corruption is so rife amongst building contractors that many paid-for houses were not even built.
And many of the houses are so badly built that it is estimated that R58 billion is needed to repair them. This compares with a housing budget this year of only R16.3 billion.
The housing lists for government houses are also notoriously corrupt. Allocation is often influenced by favouritism and patronage, rather than objective need. Lots of people have been on housing lists for years while some have suspiciously jumped to the front.
And who says that free houses are what the poor actually want most? Some recipients have sold their houses for as low as R5000. Others rent out the house and move back to an informal settlement.
The RDP houses are also depressingly uniform, with little variety. Surely all the billions we spend on housing could be better spent in a way that gives more choice and helps lots more people?
An informal settlement near where I live recently burnt down. Everything was destroyed, with deep ash everywhere. When I returned two days later I was amazed at the clean-up and how much construction had been done.
These are hard-working resourceful people. They scrounged building material from scrap yards and set about rebuilding their lives. A little bit of assistance would have been gratefully received.
Gauteng should follow the Western Cape which gives a building kit worth about R2500 to those whose homes have been destroyed by fire. Housing funds in the Western Cape also assist more people as less is spent on houses and more is spent on infrastructure and security of tenure.
National housing policy should shift towards vouchers for building materials, or subsidies for small housing contractors. Instead of encouraging dependency through give-aways, communities should be empowered to contribute to their own housing.
They should have proper title-deeds which will then be collateral that will enable them to take loans to grow a small business. Secure property ownership has been shown around the world to encourage self-pride and boost economic growth.
Owners of RDP houses presently have an inferior title deed and are barred from selling for eight years. What if they need to move to get a new job? The present housing policy is irrational and wasteful in a myriad of ways.
It treats people as wards of the state rather than trusting them to make their own choices. There are signs that Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale recognises some of the policy flaws and wants to rectify them. I hope he does so, otherwise the housing madness continues.
Jack Bloom MPL, is DA Leader in the Gauteng Legislature. This article first appeared in The Citizen.
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