Abstract
The planning of housing for informal settlements and squatter campsIn South Africa approximately 7 million people live in informal settlements and squatter camps. Constitutional provisions and moral considerations necessitate the urgent involvement of different segments of society to alleviate the plight of this hapless part of the South African population. Since the early nineties the government’s policy regarding squatters has changed from the criminalisation of squatting and the destruction of shelters to the acknowledgement of the right to access to adequate housing and the principle that an unlawful occupier may only be forcibly removed if alternative housing is available. This has led to a massive influx of squatters to squatter camps on the fringes of towns and cities. This article deals with the factors that lead to the establishment of informal settlements and squatter camps, the types of informal settlements and the way in which such settlements and squatter camps can be upgraded to become adequate housing. The consequences of self-help schemes and pirate urbanisation, and especially the advantages and disadvantages of such measures, are critically evaluated. The administration of housing in informal settlements by local authorities, the provision of basic services and the eventual upgrading of informal occupation to ownership are discussed. To facilitate this, the government policy regarding housing planning should be further implemented by removing practical obstacles as soon as possible.
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