Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2013 | Page 30
STRATEGIES
BY MALCOLM MCCARTHY
Breaking with Assumptions
Greening Social Housing in South Africa
P
eople involved in Social Housing in South
Africa are asking many tough questions
about the meaning of greening of the
sector. The reconciling of cost and impact is very
important given the tight financial margins in
the sector. While there is a body of knowledge
emerging around commercial properties this is far
less so in the medium to higher density residential
rental market. So now key players in the Social
Housing sector are starting interventions to better
understand both what should and can be done
about greening the social housing sector.
The intent of Social Housing is to provide good
quality rental housing affordable to low and
moderate-income households in well-located
parts of our cities. The housing stock is developed
and managed by strong entrepreneurial non-profit
Social Housing Institutions
(SHIs) using a capital subsidy from government.
Many of the 30 000 social housing units developed
in South Africa are in medium density pro ?X?????\YY?H?\?Z???][?H[???Y\??]?Y[???[???L?XZ[?Z[?[??Y???X?H?[?[??][?HY?????Z[???H??????\?[?[?X[?Y?[Y[?[?B?]?[????\??Y[??X??YK\?[??X\?[??HB??[[??H]?[??H[??[??\?[?]\?X[????X[??\?[??[??]][???\??[[??H\???\?[?Y?HH?\?[?][]H?\??\??X?Y?X?[H[X??X?]K?\?H\?B????[??[?H[?[???X]?H\???X[?\?[???[?[??]\????X??X\??[??\?\????X[?\?[????\?[??[?[???^H]]\???H]X[]H?HX???[[?][???B?X[?Y?[Y[??\??X?K??]?[?H?[?[??]B??\Y[??X\?H[?][]H????]???H[H[??[??[??[?Y??X?K???\??X[]H\??]?[?[\]\???Y?[??X?[?]\????[????]Y[?H???[?B??&?Y[?[??????X[?\?[???&K?H???[?\?X\?K?H?X[]H?[]?\?[???][?H??\X?]Y??\???[?\?][??Z?HH?][?[\????X][????\?[??\????X][??
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