Final Adopted IDP - KZN Development Planning

SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS
HOUSING
Municipal Housing Demand
The Ulundi Municipality developed its Municipal Housing Sector Plan in April 2006; this
Plan was reviewed and updated in May 2008. According to the information generated by
the Community Survey in 2007, 61.6% of the households within the Municipality reside in
a traditional dwelling, a hut or a structure made of traditional materials while only 27.7%
of households within the Municipality reside in a house or brick structure on a separate
stand or yard. The Municipal Housing Sector Plan defines housing demand within the
Municipality as the number of households requiring formal housing; it is therefore the
intention that formal housing is to replace traditional housing which in turn provides a
clear indication of the extent of the housing backlog that needs to be addressed.
Linking Housing Provision with the IDP
In the past, the approach followed to addressing the housing backlog was to adopt a
strategy of chasing numbers – a mass housing approach. Through this approach, houses
were built everywhere where land could be acquired cheaply thereby perpetuating urban
sprawl and segregated development areas. Houses were built further from job
opportunities and social amenities, undermining economic viability and environmental
sustainability. Further, the quality of houses was compromised due to poor workmanship
and the lack of integrated quality control approaches.
In its Municipal Housing Sector Plan the Municipality developed a strategy to address
the housing backlog that is premised on the promotion of sustainable development. This
strategy aligns with the policy approach of the Provincial Department of Human
Settlement, which has responsibility for exercising oversight of and providing funding
for housing development projects within the Municipality. What this means is that
housing projects are not stand alone developments but need to inform and be informed
by other developments within the Municipality such as access to health, education,
community, and transport facilities. Other key issues relating to the development of
housing reflected in the IDP relate to availability of land for housing development, the
provision of services on proposed housing development sites and accessing funds to
develop the project.
The greatest need for housing is within the town of Ulundi and its peri-urban areas as
well as the emerging settlements of Mpungamhlope, Ceza, Nqulwane, Babanango and
Mahlabathini; the current urban and rural housing projects – completed, in progress and
planned – reflect the priority of providing housing in these areas.
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