The Western Cape government on May 14 published an Inclusionary Housing Policy Framework for public comment.

The framework will help municipalities in the Western Cape facilitate the inclusion of more affordable housing units in developments in their municipal areas.

This will be done in partnership with the private sector, with the aim of creating more opportunities for people to live in better locations.

“We want more affordable and inclusionary housing in well-located areas within our municipalities. Lower-income households and lower- to middle-income households - including many of our essential workers - need easier access to economic opportunities and social amenities in our towns and cities.

“This is the foundation upon which the province has based its innovative new policy,” says Western Cape Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell.

The Western Cape Inclusionary Housing Policy Framework addresses the questions of what is inclusionary housing, why it should be used as a mechanism for spatial transformation and on what basis inclusionary housing can be applied in the Western Cape.

There is no doubt that the introduction of inclusionary housing is a complex and technical task, involving several role-players and stakeholders with consequences which are difficult to predict.

“There are currently no tried and tested models of inclusionary housing on the ground in South Africa to learn from,” Bredell notes.

“For us, the need to transform our cities and towns is non-negotiable. The Western Cape government is determined to be bold, while recognising the risks and uncertainties.

“The initial policy framework is an important first step and will most certainly evolve and be improved over time. We will look to municipalities, developers, landowners, civil society and organisations to contribute towards its improvement as we build a body of evidence,” adds Bredell.

Comments can be submitted in writing to the Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in Cape Town, or by email to Michael.Hathorn@westerncape.gov.za by July 13.

The Western Cape government will host virtual workshops on the framework from May 31.