The acceptability of RDP houses to recipients in the Langa District, Cape Metropole

Abstract

¿The South African government has made substantial efforts to meet the requirements of the constitution on the right of every citizen to accommodation. Increasingly it is clear that there isn’t adequate land for the purpose, compounded by unprecedented levels of corruption resulting in poor deliverance. Add to this the influx of foreign nationals into the country with the resultant effect of many more people fighting to occupy the limited number of houses available. To date, the government claims to have built upward of 3 million low-cost houses since the dawn of democracy, but the RDP houses built by the government do not meet, to a large extent, the technical requirements of standard houses by the government standards. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) provides 2 bedroomed (25 square metre) too small to house a family of a husband, wife and two children (male and female). The unavailability of land has been cited as a factor in the ability of local government to provide adequate houses for the citizens, this is also used as a reason for the small houses. Whilst the above is stated as a reason, there has been no answer on the reason for the poor quality of houses and the subsequent high maintenance costs of these houses. The study focused on the levels of satisfaction by the recipients of RDP houses in Langa Township in Cape Town. A descriptive research design was used because of its compatibility with the simultaneous use of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies (mixed research methodologies). Sampling was systematic random sampling 103 respondents, data collection was done using a structured questionnaire divided into three sections; biography, Likert scale and open ended questions. The generality of the respondents were happy that they had “roof over their head” but were not satisfied with the quality of the houses, the size and the structural defaults. The acceptability levels were fairly high but with mixed feelings because of the size of the houses, no land to expand and the absence of secrecy within the colony since the houses are barely two metres apart. It was however accepted that it was better in the RDP houses than in the informal settlements where most of them lived before getting RDP houses.