Social Housing and Upward Mobility in South African Cities

Not enough is being done to maximise the prospects of upward mobility for the tenants of South Africa’s social housing programme. Household-level improvements in well-being are generally taken for granted in the current policy and regulatory environment, rather than actively pursued. In reality, improving life chances for individuals depends on a range of factors, including the selection criteria for tenants, the availability of supplementary support programmes, the location of social housing projects themselves in relation to jobs, public transport, schools and other amenities, and the general perception of social housing as a transformative space rather than a place of last resort.