Renting in the makeshift city: Governance, politics and technologies of backyard rental housing in Cape Town, South Africa

Scheba, Andreas; Rice, Louis; Harris, Adam

Abstract

Renting is an important yet often forgotten reality of the 'makeshift city'. Millions of poor households rely on cheap rental accommodation in informal settlements, townships or inner-city buildings to get a foothold in the city. Informal rental accommodation is growing rapidly as a popular alternative to squatting on vacant land, which is becoming ever more scarce and peripheral. However, governments, non-governmental organisations and private sector have generally neglected the informal rental sector, focusing instead on expanding formal home ownership or informal settlements upgrading. This paper highlights the significance of informal rental housing to the urban poor and wider questions of inclusive urban development. Drawing on empirical research on informal backyard rental housing in the City of Cape Town, South Africa, including focus group discussions, interviews and site visits in three poor communities, the paper discusses the dynamic nature, major challenges and potential opportunities of this sector for inclusive urbanisation. Using an interdisciplinary approach to studying the makeshift city, the paper examines the technical, political-economic and social dimensions of 'backyarding' in three different neighbourhoods. In addition to discussing the conditions, strategies and experiences of individual backyarders on different plots, the research compares collective organising strategies of backyarder communities to explore their potential for creating positive change. Community experiences of working with, against and independent of the state will be compared with each other to understand their impact on realising the right to adequate housing. The role of governance, local politics and technology in shaping individual and community experiences of backyarding will be critically discussed. The paper argues that informal rental housing is undergoing important transformations and is having significant impacts on infrastructure, services and social relations in the makeshift city. Furthermore, its growth and dynamism have attracted the interest of both formal and informal private sector organisations that are beginning to provide financing and technical support to a growing class of property entrepreneurs in South Africa's township areas. This growing commercialisation of backyarding has important ramifications for social solidarity, peace and social justice in the city, which deserve more scholarly and policy attention in future.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: EADI General Conference 2021: Solidarity, Peace and Social Justice
• Start Date: Jul 5, 2021
• End Date: Jul 8, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 29, 2024
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11641358