HUGE number of people seek shelter in Johannesburg’s inner city – from the residents who live in loft apartments to ever-increasing migrants and refugees.

The majority of inner city dwellings consist of high-rise and medium-rise blocks of flats. And, with the massive in-migration to the inner city, two residential trends have become the norm - increased densification of existing accommodation and the growth of informal settlements.

This diversity is central to the cosmopolitan feel of the city, and crucial to a successful city is catering for the multiplicity of needs – in this case, housing.

The City is aware a variety of housing makes inner cities more integrated, efficient and ultimately more successful. This has prompted it to come up with an inner city housing plan, consisting of a range of special interventions for particular markets.

Transitional and emergency accommodation; inclusionary housing; and affordable rental and social housing units are some of the projects undertaken in the inner city. In addition, many of the single-sex hostels in the area, a reminder of the migratory policy of the apartheid period, are being converted into family units.

The Better Buildings Programme is another City initiative that is bearing fruit. It focuses on deteriorated buildings in town, which are cleaned-up and turned into business investment opportunities.

Underlying all this activity are the Johannesburg Urban Development Zones, which offer attractive tax incentives for property investors.

While many of its residents live on the fringes of society, the inner city is not just for the poor. More and more, private developers are converting older buildings into luxury apartments, from bachelor flats to large lofts. These developments are largely driven by the Urban Development Zone tax incentive.

And, according to inner city developers, the demand for these upper-class apartments far outnumbers supply.

The inner city has also benefited from the successful Brickfields housing estate, a privately funded development in what was once a run-down area of Newtown. Newtown Brickfields provides rental accommodation to middle-income groups. Other regions are hoping to initiate similar projects.

Residential accommodation will continue to remain a challenge in the inner city, but Johannesburg aims to accelerate housing delivery through the promotion of ownership options and sectional title support, among other things.

At least R2-billion has been invested in the residential market over the past five years, contributing to at least 10 000 new or refurbished units. It is expected that another R3-billion in projects will take place over the next few years.

Charter links:

• Inner city housing plan
• Administrative process
• Emergency and transitional accommodation
• Inclusionary housing
• Social package
• Better Buildings Programme
• Hostels and informal settlements
• Ownership options and sectional title support
• Improvement districts

Related stories:

• Inner city partners get on board
• Loft and more in August House
• Better buildings kicks up a level
• eKhaya: landlords clean up Hillbrow ghetto
• Mbeki opens Brickfields
• Demand rising for inner city residential property

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