Abstract
Purpose: The low-income housing sector plays an essential role in poverty alleviation, with the Department of Housing (DOH) being the driver of the sector. However, the DOH has been facing a massive backlog, which limits the issuance of property rights to South African citizens. Thus, the aim of the paper was to investigate the effects of property rights for low-income housing in South Africa.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was carried out using the quantitative approach. Primary data was gathered through a well-structured questionnaire which was distributed to Reconstruction Development Programme (RDP) occupants and the DOH personnel in Gauteng. A total of 104 responses were received from participants through simple random sampling from the online distributed close-ended questionnaires. The data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26. The software provided the mean item score which was used to rank the variables in each research objective, and the Cronbach alpha, which tested the reliability of the questionnaire. The results of the analysed data were presented in the form of figures, graphs, and tables.
Findings: The study disclosed the major effects of property rights to be poverty reduction, poor quality of houses, and the enhancement of neighbouring property values.
Research Limitations/Implications: The study focused on the effects of property rights on low-income housing in South Africa.
Practical Implication: The research findings prove that the issuance of property rights to ordinary citizens can alleviate poverty even though there is still a need for a significant improvement in the design of the houses to ensure the quality of housing, which can be achieved through digitalization. Adoption of the various measures such as appropriate structures allowing effective whistleblowing, policy, and legislative reforms will reduce the occurrence of challenges of property rights for low-income housing, thereby allowing an increase in the provision of low-income housing in South Africa. This will result in an increase in property rights for ordinary citizens in South Africa.
Social Implication: It is therefore recommended that government must provide a clear and appropriate legal framework for the low-income housing sector through the amendment of the Housing Act to have a section detailing how beneficiaries should enjoy the fruits of their property rights with no restrictions imposed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aigbavboa, C.O.: An assessment of the critical factors impeding the delivery of low-income housing in South Africa. Socioeconomica 3(6), 219–232 (2015)
Anderson, S.: Property rights. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/property_rights.asp (2020). Accessed 11 Jul 2021
Arnot, C.D., Luckert, M.K., Boxall, P.C.: What is tenure security? Conceptual implications for empirical analysis. Land Econ. 87(2), 297–311 (2011)
Barone, A.: Asset. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp (2021). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Barry, M., Roux, L.: Perceptions of land registration in a state-subsidised housing project in South Africa. Hous. Financ. Int. 28(4), 27–33 (2014)
Blumenfeld, J.: From icon to scapegoat: the experience of South Africa’s reconstruction and development programme. Dev. Policy Rev. 15(1), 65–91 (1997). https://africabib.org/htp.php?RID=157005380
Boshoff, D.: Understanding the Basic Principles of Property Law in South Africa. The South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession, Pretoria (2013)
Boudreaux, K.: Empowering the poor through property rights. Mercatus Center. https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/ch2.pdf (2008). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Brasselle, A.S., Gaspart, F., Platteau, J.P.: Land tenure security and investment incentives: puzzling evidence from Burkina Faso. J. Dev. Econ. 67(2), 373–418 (2002)
Chepsiror, E.: The Challenges of Housing Development for the Low-Income Population in Kenya; A case of Eldoret Town. Dissertation, University of Nairobi, Nairobi (2013)
Choy, L.H.T., Lai, Y., Wang, J., Zheng, X.: Property rights and housing prices: an empirical study of small property rights housing in Shenzhen, China. Land Use Policy 68, 429–437 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.08.010
Coase, R.H.: The problem of social cost. J. Law Econ. 56(4), 837–877 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230523210_6
Cronbach, L.J.: Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika 16, 297–334 (1951)
Department of Human Settlement: Report on Evaluation of Housing Assests. http://www.dhs.gov.za/sites/default/files/u16/EVALUATION%20OF%20HOUSING%20ASSET%20WITH%20CPAGE.pdf (2015). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Ebekozien, A., Abdul-Aziz, A.-R., Jaafar, M.: Housing finance inaccessibility for low-income earners in Malaysia: factors and solutions. Habitat Int. 87, 27–35 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2019.03.009
Eggertsson, T.: Economic Behavior and Institutions: Principles of Neo institutional Economics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1990)
Ehrenberg, D.: The importance and benefits of tenure security. Property Rights Land Tenure Issues 13(3), 1–24 (2006)
Elbow, K.: What is Tenure Security? Why does it matter? https://www.land-links.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/USAID_Land_Tenure_2014_Haiti_Training_Module_1_Presentation_2_Elbow.pdf (2014). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Galiani, S., Schargrodsky, E.: Effects of land titling on child health. Econ. Hum. Biol. 2(3), 353–372 (2004)
Haas, A.R., Jones, P.: The importance of property rights for successful urbanisation in develo** countries. Int. Growth Centre: Policy Brief 43609, 1–8 (2017)
He, S., Wang, D., Webster, C., Wing Chau, K.: Property rights with price tags? Pricing uncertainties in the production, transaction, and consumption of China’s small property housing. Land Use Policy 81, 424–433 (2019)
Kurtus, R.: What is physical health. https://www.school-for-champions.com/health/what_is_health.htm#.YQHKDI4zZPY (2017). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Makgobi, G., Mashwama, N., Aigbavboa, C.: Theoretical assessment of impacts of property rights on existing reconstruction and development program houses. In: Proceedings of International Structural Engineering and Construction Management, vol. 6, issue 1 (2019)
Malgas, S.M.: The effects of subsidized housing on the property values of neighbourhoods within its vicinity. Doctoral Thesis, University of Cape Town, Cape town (2018)
Mashwama, N., Thwala, D., Aigbavboa, C.: Challenges of reconstruction and development program (RDP) houses in South Africa. IEOM Society International (2019). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333506568_Challenges_of_Reconstruction_and_Development_Program_RDP_Houses_in_South_Africa Accessed 26 Apr 2021
Mbatha, S.: Informal transactions of low-income houses in South Africa: a case study of eThekwini Municipality. Doctoral Thesis, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart (2018). http://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/9816
Meinzen-Dick, R., Kameri-Mbote, P., Markelova, H.: Property Rights for Poverty Reduction? vol. 10017, p. 86. Bloomsbury Academic, New York, NY (2009)
Mental Health.gov: What is Mental Health. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health (2020). Accessed 15 Jul 2021
Moss, V., Dincer, H., Hacioglu, U.: Financial regulations and standards in the low-income property market of South Africa. J. Bus. Manage. Econ. 4(8), 187–194 (2013)
Muller, G., Brits, R., Pienaar, J.M., Boggenpoel, Z.: Silberberg and Schoeman’s: The Law of Property, 6th edn. LexisNexis, Capetown (2016)
Mulok, D., Kogid, M.: Low-cost housing in Sabah, Malaysia: a regression analysis. Asian Soc. Sci. 4(12), 27–33 (2008)
O’Driscoll, G.P., Hoskins, L.: Property Rights: The Key to Economic Development. Cato Institute, Washington, DC (2003)
Porio, E., Crisol, C.: Property rights, security of tenure and the urban poor in Metro Manila. Habitat Int. 28(2), 203–219 (2004)
Rubin, M.: Perceptions of corruption in the South African housing allocation and delivery programme: what it may mean for accessing the state. J. Asian Afr. Stud. 46(5), 479–490 (2011)
Smith, R.E.: Land tenure, fixed investment, and farm productivity: evidence from Zambia’s southern province. World Dev. 32(10), 1641–1661 (2004)
Statistics South Africa: Sustainable Development Goals: Country Report 2019. http://www.statssa.gov.za/MDG/SDGs_Country_Report_2019_South_Africa.pdf (2019). Accessed 22 Jun 2021
Statistics South Africa: General Household Survey 2019 Statistical Release. https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/852 (2020). Accessed 04 Apr 2021
von Benda-Beckmann, F., von Benda-Beckmann, K., Wiber, M.: The properties of property. In: von Benda-Beckmann, F., von Benda-Beckmann, K., Wiber, M. (eds.) Changing Properties of Property, pp. 1–39. Berghahn, New York (2006)
Walsh, E.: The Effects of Low-income Housing on Health. https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2018/10/01/the-effects-of-low-income-housing-on-health/ (2018). Accessed 17 Jul 2021
Wolverton, S.: Low-income housing: the negative effects on both physical and mental health. https://ncrc.org/low-income-housing-the-negative-effects-on-both-physical-and-mental-health/ (2019). Accessed 17 Jul 2021
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
M**ana, W.B., Mashwama, N.X., Akinradewo, O., Aigbavboa, C. (2023). Effects of Property Rights for Low-Income Housing in South Africa. In: Aigbavboa, C., et al. Sustainable Education and Development – Sustainable Industrialization and Innovation. ARCA 2022. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25998-2_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25998-2_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-25997-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-25998-2
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)