For the past 5 years, Isandla Institute and the Development Action Group (DAG) have partnered to create greater recognition of, and support for, the informal backyard housing sector in South Africa. The Backyard Matters Project engaged in enumeration, research, community engagement, dialogues, learning initiatives and advocacy to augment the collective understanding of backyard housing and its contribution to affordable housing, livelihoods and township economic development and to identify policy and programmatic interventions to support and improve this sector, in all its diversity and complexity. At the conclusion of the project, we asked various stakeholders in government, civil society and local communities to reflect on the project and its impact. 

In the context of the national housing crisis, supporting and enabling self-build incremental housing construction resulting in safe, dignified housing is a vital response. People do not only need money to build better and meet safety standards; they also need technical advice and support on how to build and augment dwellings over time, how to comply with the municipality’s requirements, and how to navigate the municipality’s organisational structure to access relevant services. This is where Housing Support Centres (HSCs) can play a vital role. In 2024, an HSC pilot was conducted in a partnership between the City of Cape Town (CoCT) and the Backyard Matters (BYM) project (itself a partnership initiative between Isandla Institute and the Development Action Group). This paper draws lessons from the pilot for replication and contextualisation of the HSC model in other municipalities and other human settlements contexts. Recommendations are made for municipalities seeking to replicate and contextualise the HSC model, for national/provincial policy and institutionalisation, and for CSOs and other support organisations keen to partner with a municipality in piloting and/or rolling out HSCs.

Small-scale affordable rental housing is increasingly recognised as both an important housing option and a significant contributor to township economic development. The small-scale affordable rental housing sector is highly diverse, incorporating a variety of landlord, tenant and housing typologies, with varying degrees of compliance to norms, standards and regulations. Awareness of crucial differences in small-scale affordable rental housing typologies is important for understanding the varied ways in which they operate as well as their future growth potential and capacity to formalise. Appreciating this diversity is key to developing appropriate responses and support interventions that adequately respond to the needs and opportunities inherent to specific sub-sectors of this housing market. While there may be common issues (e.g. the importance of adequate access to basic services), there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that municipalities can adopt to address key challenges present in the sector and to capitalise on the opportunities it presents. This pamphlet maps out these differences, provides guidance on what municipalities can do, and how responses and support interventions can adequately respond to the specific sub-sectors of this housing market.

Alternate building technologies (ABTs) are an essential component of achieving safe, climate-resilient affordable housing. This practice brief examines the nature of ABTs, identifies barriers to their broader uptake, particularly for affordable housing and self-build construction. It also summarises a set of proposed criteria to guide the incentivisation, development and uptake of ABTs that enable climate-resilient, labour intensive, affordable housing construction.

The CSO Winter School on Backyard Housing took place on 11-13 June 2024. The Winter School provided dedicated space for CSOs to engage some of the crucial challenges and opportunities confronting the backyard housing sector. Insightful presentations and engaging discussions allowed for reflection on a range of issues that not only impact the backyard housing sector but are commonly confronted by all communities who live in conditions of informality.

The core objectives of the CSO Winter School were to:
• Deepen knowledge of the (diverse) backyard housing sector and the important role it plays in providing affordable housing and facilitating and contributing to local economic and neighbourhood development;
• Increase understanding of the challenges faced by the sector and the potential role(s) that CSOs could fulfil in enabling/strengthening the backyard housing sector; and
• Explore how CSOs can take the insights gained forward into their own practice and/or advocacy on housing, human settlements and access to services.

The objectives of the CSO Winter School were certainly met. The Summary Report captures the highlights of the programme and some of the discussions that shaped our interaction.

Many people live in unsafe informal structures which disproportionately expose them to climate change impacts, while the construction sector is among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. This paper looks at how alternative building technologies (ABTs) can be a game changer for affordable housing that is safe, dignified, climate-resilient and potentially low-carbon, and their great potential for job creation.

Access to energy is considered to be essential to living a dignified and productive life. Yet, a significant number of households in South Africa either experience some form of energy poverty or can be described as living in a perpetual state of energy poverty. Access to safe, sustainable and renewable energy sources is key to improving the quality of life and the prospects of household improvement for those who are most impacted by energy poverty. This includes people who live in under-serviced areas, such as in informal settlements and backyard housing. This practice brief examines the concept of energy poverty, how it manifests in practice and the many complex drivers that need to be addressed. It relates these to the opportunities and inherent challenges in South Africa’s attempts to facilitate a just energy transition - from a carbon-based economy to relying on clean, renewable and sustainable energy sources. 

This paper explores what a just urban transition approach to informal settlement upgrading looks like. It draws on research and dialogues with various stakeholders involved in informal settlement upgrading and climate resilience, including residents living in informal settlements, emphasising the principle of ‘nothing about us without us'. The paper gives further impetus and meaning to the social compact underpinning informal settlement upgrading. It explores whether – and under what conditions – alternative service delivery models and technologies can advance human rights. The paper also examines the complexities of land access and spatial justice, including the possible relocation of settlements deemed uninhabitable or environmentally sensitive. Furthermore, building on the centrality of livelihoods, jobs and the local economy in a just transition-type approach, it considers how upgrading policy and practice can be reorientated to give greater impetus to this dimension. Attention is also given to governance, capabilities, partnerships, and resourcing for this new orientation towards informal settlement upgrading.

The project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). 

Isandla Institute has made submission into the draft White Paper for Human Settlements, which is currently out for public comment. The White Paper has been promised for almost a decade (since 2015), so its release has been highly anticipated. The current draft has many flaws and, in our view, represents a missed opportunity in guiding the human settlements sector to respond effectively to new realities and stubborn problems. One of the inclusions we are calling for is a policy position on self-build as an official housing programme, which includes the institutionalisation of local housing support centres and a commitment to developing a public funding mechanism for those unable to leverage (sufficient) private funds. You can read our submission here.

If you are a municipal practitioner wishing to engage with informal settlement communities about upgrading decisions to drive a just urban transition, then this tool is for you. Geared towards climate resilience and addressing vulnerabilities and social exclusion experienced by informal settlement residents, a just urban transition involves novel approaches to informal settlement upgrading and challenges municipalities (and other potential partners) to work differently with informal settlement communities. Informed by informal settlement communities, this tool provides ideas and considerations on how you can approaching complex decision-making deliberatively, with communities.

The project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

Informal settlements are often viewed in light of the nexus of vulnerability to climate change and the development challenge they represent. An opportunity to upgrade thousands of informal settlements in a decarbonised manner is presented as a central thrust of the government’s just urban transition framework. This comes at a time when national government has shifted its priority focus from formal housing provision to informal settlement upgrading. In reality, upgrading is hampered by technical, finance and governance challenges. Currently, there is little understanding – either amongst practitioners, or at grassroots level – of what a “just urban transition” means, let alone how this will affect informal settlement upgrading.

This concept note draws on a range of perspectives from people who had either been involved in developing the PCC’s “just urban transition” strategy, climate science, environmental justice, or those with specialist knowledge and experience in informal settlement upgrading. They were asked to reflect on what it could mean for South Africa’s progressive informal settlement upgrading agenda. This document aims to inform discussions and debate towards the co-creation of an (emerging) approach to informal settlement upgrading that embeds the principles and modalities of a just urban transition.

The project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

Millions of people living in informal settlements experience high risks related to climate change. The land they live on can easily be flooded or collapse in mudslides. Low quality housing, made from zinc with not enough ventilation, is less able to resist high winds and can make heatwaves feel worse. Government must play its part in upgrading informal settlements to help reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of communities to climate change. If you are interested in what the government’s proposed "just urban transition" means for people living in informal settlements, download our pamphlet here.

The project was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). 

Amid the growing discourse around self-build, especially in the context of fiscal constraints and the de-prioritisation of new large-scale public housing projects, there is an opportunity for self-build to be enabled and supported through Housing Support Centres, to tap into latent willingness and agency of communities for incremental top-structure consolidation. Based on the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) as a local self-build precedent, and other examples of current and proposed models for support centres, both locally and in other global South locations (Brazil and India), Isandla Institute has proposed a municipal-led Housing Support Centre model that could provide a variety of possible housing support needs across different housing/settlement typologies, in partnership with provinces, NGOs, the private sector, and academic institutions. For more details, see an animation and proposition paper here, which are distilled from a  longer research paper (see here), as well as this comic book which was generated from the animation.

In 2022 Isandla Institute, supported by a number of civil society partners, produced a joint civil society submission, which addressed four key areas of intervention which we believe start to address some of the significant challenges facing the backyard housing market. These key areas include access to basic services for backyard residents living on both public and private land; tenure (in)security for both landlords and backyard residents; enabling the right to self-build as an integral part of the right of access to housing; and, the importance of promoting safe neighbourhoods through an area-based violence prevention approach. For more details, see the civil society submission here and an animation that distils the main arguments, as well as this comic book which was generated from the animation.

In 2023, Isandla Institute deepened its work on technical and financial support for self-build by developing a proposed institutional design for Housing Support Centres . This paper examines the financial implications for self-build. It builds on the premise that self-build is part of the right of access to housing and that as such, the state must take reasonable steps, including financial assistance to enable any sustainable form of self-build to those who require financial assistance. It examines whether there is any support for self-build in the current subsidy scheme for those who often fall within the cracks of current state programmes. It further examines if the fiscus supports the current and growing demand in the context of an anticipated increase in demand. Finally, it touches on the requirements for institutionalising and administering public financial assistance to this particular segment of the population, given that it requires a change in thinking and operational requirements to ensure that any administrative system is accessible and fit for purpose.

In 2022, Isandla Institute investigated  how self-build can be enabled and supported through of Housing Support Centres (HSCs), inspired by the local EPHP housing support centre precedent and other Global South self-build initiatives. This paper draws on the research and arguments developed previously by developing a model for the institutionalisation HSCs. This, in turn will lay the basis for policy advocacy around the uptake of the model in local, provincial and national policy and programmes. It covers the rationale for HSCs, the municipal benefits of implementing an HSC model, what HSCs will do and what shape and form they can take, and the role for communities and intended beneficiaries in HSCs. The implications for municipal capacity and resources, funding sources, governance arrangements, the role of non-government stakeholders, and the role of provincial and national government in creating an enabling environment for HSCs are also covered. Ultimately, a national HSC policy framework and support is needed to guide municipalities (and an adequate self-build subsidy funding for those with lowest incomes); the piloting of the HSC model in different municipalities, responding to different human settlements contexts and needs; and lastly, multi-stakeholder engagement with and refinement of the proposed model.

Municipalities often overlook backyard residents in their provision of free basic services which are funded by the equitable share. Isandla Institute did research on the implications of extending water and sanitation infrastructure to backyard residents in 2022. The case study undertaken on waste management in 2023 builds on the advocacy arguments around including backyard residents in free basic service provision as well as in respect of other public amenities and services such as policing, access to health care, early childhood centres, libraries etc. It examines the challenges and opportunities in facilitating the extension of the service to all indigent residents in under-serviced areas. It also examines the high societal, health and environmental costs of failing to provide services. With examples from practise, it briefly touches on some of the multiple interventions which may not be as resource-intensive but which are capable of yielding significant positive impacts both in the short, medium and long-term in the context of refuse removal initiatives. Waste management is the one basic service that provides entry points for diverse local economic development and employment opportunities.

Vulnerability plays a pivotal role in the daily lives of South Africans, whether it’s on the basis of gender, socio-economic status, age or any other factor. Many of these vulnerabilities are compounding, which increases one’s susceptibility and risk to violence and crime exponentially. Intersectionality serves as a valuable lens through which to view and understand vulnerability and the power relations it emanates from. It brings to light factors of exclusion, marginalisation and privilege/power, which is essential for effective area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI). ABVPI is also enriched by adopting an outcomes-based approach which gives better insights into what works and what does not work, because it allows one to assess whether actions are having the desired impact or contribute to the envisaged change. Being explicit about outcomes also moves the conversation beyond undefined qualifiers, such as ‘safe’, ‘inclusive’ or ‘resilient’, that often have a ‘feel good’ factor associated with them, but can mean different things to different people. Effective and inclusive violence and crime prevention is informed by an understanding of where different factors of power and vulnerability emanate from and how these factors interact, as well as an explicit and intentional focus on working towards building a common understanding and harmonised practice towards safer neighbourhoods.

This Practice Brief draws on the presentations and discussions at the second SPRINT Champions Event, held in May 2023, which brought together representatives from national, provincial and local government and civil society organisations. It is targeted at urban practitioners who want to contribute to making neighbourhoods and cities more inclusive, vibrant and safe. It does this by offering key insights shared by other practitioners who participated in the Champions Event.

Crime and violence are intrusive with both immediate and long-term implications for communities. This is particularly true for those who live in under-resourced neighbourhoods, such as backyard residents and people living in informal settlements. The converging crises of load shedding, water shortages and critical service infrastructure collapse further perpetuate the underlying conditions which allow for crime and violence to flourish. This not only impacts communities; it also creates a climate of risk for organisations working in these areas. In this context, it is clear that a security-focussed response only yields limited results. This practice brief outlines the constitutional framework for safety and security as well as the pillars of area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI). It examines the key factors that make ABVPIs sustainable and draws on a successful project from practice to gain important lessons for replicability.

This is the final learning brief produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutes and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The brief highlights the importance of schools in offering a positive learning and interactive environment and as a potential entry point for area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI). It provides context as to the extent in which schools are affected by violence and crime and offers examples from practice of how the safety and security of both students and staff can be secured, both on school grounds and on the journey to/from school. It further explores how schools can be seen as community assets that can become beacons of safety and resilience for the community at large.

Public parks provide for natural beauty and recreational space and play a vital role in creating a sense of community. If not activated or maintained, public parks can become neglected, uncomfortable and even unsafe.  Drawing on work done by the City of Johannesburg and partners to upgrade green public spaces through collaboration and co-creation with stakeholders and community, this SPRINT learning brief argues that the provision of quality public green spaces is vital in creating safer, inclusive neighbourhoods. The brief highlights six factors of good practice for co-producing, managing and activating green public spaces.

Evidence-informed violence and crime prevention interventions make neighbourhoods more inclusive, vibrant and safe because they allow the interventions to better reflect and address key issues for all people in that space. Safety audits and community safety forums are two mechanisms for robust community engagements that generate evidence. In addition, bringing stakeholders together, such as through communities of practice (CoP), allows us to learn from one another’s successes and challenges so that good work can be up-scaled and adapted. This brief discusses why local evidence is critical to inform effective violence and crime prevention interventions and how inclusive methodologies, such as safety audits, can provided grounded evidence. It also highlights how a CoP can be a critical source of ongoing peer learning, support and action. It further includes project examples that indirectly or directly, address risk factors to crime and violence and as such contribute to safer neighbourhoods.

This Practice Brief draws on the presentations and discussions at the first SPRINT Champions Event, held in October 2022, which brought together representatives from national, provincial and local government and civil society organisations. It is targeted at urban practitioners who want to contribute to making neighbourhoods and cities more inclusive, vibrant and safe. It does this by offering key insights shared by other practitioners who participated in the Champions Event.

This SPRINT learning brief highlights how different groups of youth are particularly vulnerable as both victims and perpetuators of violence and crime. It also highlights that while there are some shared characteristics and experiences, it is important to understand these different groups and how they experience spaces differently. The brief shares examples of work done to build the resilience of youth and empower them. Finally, using the 8 key ingredients for ABVPI, the brief distills key lessons from practice in using ABVPI for and with youth and proposes six key lessons which can be drawn on.

This is the tenth brief in the series of learning briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutes and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The brief highlights how spatial factors can influence gender-based vulnerability to violence and crime as characteristics of space can determine whether that space is/feels inclusive and safe or unsafe to some social groups. The brief shares examples of work done to activate spaces and to make them more safe and inclusive. Finally, using the 8 key ingredients for ABVPI, the brief distills key lessons from practice in using ABVPI to prevent gender based violence and crime and proposes four critical actions that can bring about more inclusive public space.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 1 introduces the SPRINT project and gives an overview of the 4 different project streams.  

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 2 outlines the reality of crime and violence in South Africa, particularly for certain vulnerable groups, and motivates why safety should be at the centre of development planning in South Africa. It further argues that a focus on safety goes beyond security responses to address the underlying risk factors to violence and crime and bolster protective factors.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 3 unpacks the root causes of crime and violence in South Africa. It utilises the socio-ecological model to explain the various risk and/or protective factors that occur at various levels of a person’s life that can increase or reduce their vulnerability to experiencing or perpetuating crime and/or violence.

The Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project aims to institutionalise area-based violence prevention interventions across government policies, programmes and practices. Resource Note 4 explains that area-based violence prevention interventions (ABPVI) combine spatial, social and institutional interventions aimed at reducing or removing factors that contribute to an environment of risk and vulnerability to crime and violence. It includes key ingredients for implementing ABVPI and examples of what ABVPI may include.

Isandla Institute, supported by a number of civil society partners, has produced a joint civil society submission, which addresses four key areas of intervention which we believe start to address some of the significant challenges facing the backyard housing market. These key areas include access to basic services for backyard residents living on both public and private land; tenure (in)security for both landlords and backyard residents; enabling the right to self-build as an integral part of the right of access to housing; and, the importance of promoting safe neighbourhoods through an area-based violence prevention approach.

Isandla Institute, supported by a number of civil society partners, has produced a joint civil society submission, which addresses four key areas of intervention which we believe start to address some of the significant challenges facing the backyard housing market. These key areas include access to basic services for backyard residents living on both public and private land; tenure (in)security for both landlords and backyard residents; enabling the right to self-build as an integral part of the right of access to housing; and, the importance of promoting safe neighbourhoods through an area-based violence prevention approach. For more details, see the civil society submission here and an animation that distils the main arguments.

Amid the growing discourse around self-build, especially in the context of fiscal constraints and the de-prioritisation of new large-scale public housing projects, there is an opportunity for self-build to be enabled and supported through Housing Support Centres, to tap into latent willingness and agency of communities for incremental top-structure consolidation. Housing Support Centres can be an important element in shifting the housing focus beyond just site-and-service and towards housing consolidation in both informal settlements and in established neighbourhoods where backyard housing is providing/can provide affordable housing for rent. Based on the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) as a local self-build precedent, and other examples of current and proposed models for support centres, both locally and in other global South locations (Brazil and India), Isandla Institute has proposed a municipal-led Housing Support Centre model that could provide a variety of possible housing support needs across different housing/settlement typologies, in partnership with provinces, NGOs, the private sector, and academic institutions.

Amid the growing discourse around self-build, especially in the context of fiscal constraints and the de-prioritisation of new large-scale public housing projects, there is an opportunity for self-build to be enabled and supported through Housing Support Centres, to tap into latent willingness and agency of communities for incremental top-structure consolidation. Based on the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) as a local self-build precedent, and other examples of current and proposed models for support centres, both locally and in other global South locations (Brazil and India), Isandla Institute has proposed a municipal-led Housing Support Centre model that could provide a variety of possible housing support needs across different housing/settlement typologies, in partnership with provinces, NGOs, the private sector, and academic institutions. This proposition paper is distilled from a research paper, Enabling the right to build through Housing Support Centres, 2022 (see here)

Amid the growing discourse around self-build, especially in the context of fiscal constraints and the de-prioritisation of new large-scale public housing projects, there is an opportunity for self-build to be enabled and supported through Housing Support Centres, to tap into latent willingness and agency of communities for incremental top-structure consolidation. Based on the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (EPHP) as a local self-build precedent, and other examples of current and proposed models for support centres, both locally and in other global South locations (Brazil and India), Isandla Institute has proposed a municipal-led Housing Support Centre model that could provide a variety of possible housing support needs across different housing/settlement typologies, in partnership with provinces, NGOs, the private sector, and academic institutions. For more details, see an animation and proposition paper here, which are distilled from a  longer research paper (see here)

In 2021, Isandla Institute sourced a legal opinion from a Senior Counsel, focusing on the obligations and powers of municipalities to provide basic services for backyard dwellers on private land. This showed that there was no legal obstacle to providing these services. Based on this, Isandla Institute commissioned a paper from an experienced journalist, which was informed by interviews with stakeholders, on the impact of backyard housing on water and sanitation infrastructure, to further inform debate. While local government has a clear constitutional responsibility to supply all backyard residents with basic services, the question of the how burns. This report’s conclusion is that the servicing of backyard units is about changing mindsets, institutional processes, and moving towards more evidence-based strategic infrastructure planning to address the increased densification and urbanization that are at the heart of the infrastructural shortfalls in low-income areas.

The South African National Development Plan (NDP) promotes the creation of spaces that are liveable, equitable, sustainable, resilient and efficient, and that support economic opportunities and social cohesion. Area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI) offer both a set of protocols and methodologies (i.e. a codified practice) and an approach to spatial development that takes safety and resilience as the intended outcomes and so aligns with this vision. Taking this process forward, questions are raised about how partnerships can be developed, frameworks adapted and resources allocated in order to enable ABVPI. The brief includes the topics of integrating ABVPI into informal settlement upgrading; funding ABVPI using public funds, specifically conditional grants; and reflections on the importance of partnership in ABVPI.

This Practice Brief draws on the presentations and discussion at the webinar 'Building Safer Neighbourhoods Together', held on 05 August 2021. The webinar, which brought together representatives from national, provincial and local government and civil society organisations, was convened by Isandla Institute as an implementation partner of the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent extended lockdown has been more than the health and wellbeing of those in living South Africa; with many in positions of increased vulnerability such as through the loss of income and livelihoods. The dual impact of deepening risk factors which contribute to violence and crime and the reduction or removal of protective factors means that more people in South Africa might be experiencing and/or perpetuating violence and crime. Despite this, the pandemic has also reinvigorated a sense of solidarity and empathy, which is evident in the stronger emphasis on communities, clearer focus on key issues like gender-based violence (GBV) and the efforts to capacitate those leading engagements and change. The effects of COVID-19 and the lockdown are unknown and likely long lasting. In the unprecedented context of COVID-19 and as we look forward, area-based violence prevention interventions offer a unique resource for violence prevention and building safer cities.

This Practice Brief draws on the presentations and discussion at the webinar 'Area-Based Violence Prevention in a time of COVID-19', held on 24 March 2021. The webinar, which brought together representatives from national, provincial and local government and civil society organisations, was convened by Isandla Institute as an implementation partner of the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) project.

This advocacy piece is produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. It is aimed at providing key information and recommendations to local government and civil society organisations to shift their approach toward VPIs and for provincial and national government, who guide municipalities and contract service providers, to provide an enabling environment for this shift to take place.

The advocacy output ‘Activation: Creating inclusive, sustainable safe places’  highlights that public spaces in South Africa have the potential to be both sites of increased exposure to violence and crime as well as catalysts for social cohesion. Activation of public spaces enables and encourages the creation and utilisation of quality, vibrant, safe and sustainable spaces. Key recommendations include that activated public spaces need to be accessible, inclusive and equitable for all and that  municipalities should enable and lead multi-stakeholder engagement in public space activation.

This advocacy piece was produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. It is aimed at providing key information and recommendations to local government and organisations working with local government (CSOs, private sector etc) to shift their approach toward ABVPI and for provincial and national government, who guide municipalities and contract service providers, to provide an enabling
environment for this shift to take place.

The advocacy piece 'Funding Area-Based Violence Prevention Interventions: An Examination of the Conditional Grant System' examines the opportunities for funding area-based violence prevention intervention (ABVPI) work with public funds, specifically conditional grants. The document lays out key principles, activities and role-players in ABVPI and highlights the roles and responsibilities of local government in safety and violence prevention. The document argues that ABVPI is strongly aligned to the existing responsibilities of local government and as such, public funding can and should be leveraged to pursue ABVPI.

This advocacy piece was produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. It is aimed at providing key information and recommendations to local government to shift their approach toward VPIs and for provincial and national government, who guide municipalities and contract service providers, to provide an enabling environment for this shift to take place.

'Embedding Area-Based Violence Prevention Initiatives (ABVPI) in Informal Settlement Upgrading in South Africa' highlights the imperative to embed ABVPI in urban planning and development, specifically informal settlement upgrading (ISU). The document highlights the need for a strategic and programmatic approach to building on the alignment between ABVPI and ISU. Recommendations include that municipalities embrace different approaches to engaging with residents and upgrading settlements and that there is more emphasis on livelihoods, urban safety and wellbeing outcomes in projects that utilise ISU funding.

One of the largest barriers to service provision to backyard residents living on private land is the long-held belief that the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) renders it is illegal to spend public money on private properties. To test this belief, Isandla Institute commissioned a legal opinion from a Senior Counsel on the power, authority, and obligations of local governments to provide services to backyard residents living on private land. The opinion compellingly argues that local governments do indeed have the power, authority, and obligation to provide these services. While complex questions remain about how these services will be rolled out and who they will target, the opinion shifts the conversation and opens space for new approaches.

This is the seventh brief in a series of learning briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 20 May 2021, focusing on ‘Partnerships in ABVPIs’.

The brief emphasises the importance of partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects on lessons learnt by Learning Network participants about success factors and challenges in effective partnerships. The brief highlights the legislative mandate for government to work in partnerships with CSOs and communities in all elements of an intervention, including inception, planning, implementation and monitoring & evaluation. A key message of the brief is that partnerships can take different forms and be adapted according to need.

This is the sixth in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Briefs is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 22 April 2021, focusing on ‘ABVPI in municipal planning’.

The brief emphasises the urgent need for area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPIs) in an increasingly difficult environment. Key to the implementation of ABVPIs is the role of local government in planning and coordinating ABVPIs and aligning complementary initiatives and budgets.
The brief argues that a multi-stakeholder approach is vital to address the complex factors that contribute to violence and crime, and that local government is well-placed to enable joint and active participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including different parts of government, communities and CSOs.

This is the fifth in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The `Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 18 March 2021, focusing on ‘Understanding Power’.

The brief unpacks the benefits of using power analysis in area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPIs) and introduces various power analysis tools such as the power cube and power mapping. One of the key messages of the brief is that there is a lack of understanding of power and the relevance of power in all aspects of work, relationships, interpersonal interactions and so forth. It goes on to argue that CSOs can play a key role in capacity building and understanding power by expanding existing stakeholder mapping and analysis to include power analysis.

This is the fourth Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the fourth Learning Network session, hosted by Isandla Institute on 18 February 2021, and the focus of this brief is Gender, safety and VPIs. The brief introduces a definition of gender that is broad and inclusive. Defining gender-based violence (GBV), and identifying the various types of GBV enables a greater understanding of how GBV manifests. The brief also draws on the reflections of participating CSOs to examine responses to GBV. This includes utilising the socio-ecological model as a key tool to better understand the factors that contribute to GBV allows for more targeted violence prevention interventions (VPIs) that respond to these. One of the key messages of the brief is Placing gender at the centre of VPIs should be prioritised, particularly in light of the significant impact of COVID-19.

This is the third Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the third Learning Network session, hosted on 21 January 2021, focusing on Working with communities.
This brief highlights the significant role played by CSOs in society, including playing various roles of ‘watchdog’, advocate, facilitator, as well as directly implementing interventions in working with communities. These roles have had to adapt under the new and increased pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic with CSOs playing a critical part in the response to the pandemic. One of the key messages of the brief is that community led processes are the key to sustainable development and that fostering positive, mutually beneficial relationships with communities that are built on trust should be a priority of the work, as this sets the foundation for the journey together. Another key message is the pivotal role that government, especially local government, can play in creating change when working with communities.

Informal backyard rental housing has remained largely invisible to public policy and urban programmes despite the sector’s size and growth. Isandla Institute’s latest position paper identifies a range of potential interventions in the sector and explains which sphere of government is responsible for implementing each one. It also outlines a set of general principles that should apply to any interventions in the sector, as well as identifies a range of risks. The interventions contained in the position paper are not presented as being exhaustive, and are rather meant to stimulate discussion and move policy debates closer to the realm of implementation.

This is the second Learning Brief in a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from the discussions at the second Learning Network session, hosted on 03 December 2020, focusing on What is integrated area-based violence prevention interventions (VPI) and examples of VPI practices. The brief is an introduction to integrated area-based violence prevention interventions (ABVPI), including the socio-ecological model and the principles of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The brief outlines key policy frameworks that guide VPI work, including the National Development Plan, the White Paper on Safety and Security and the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide. The brief also outlines key challenges in VPI, including a lack of common understanding of what violence prevention is, the importance of addressing underlying root causes in VPI and the need for multi-sectoral approaches between stakeholders.

This Learning Brief is part of a series of Learning Briefs produced by Isandla Institute under the Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhoods Together (SPRINT) Project. The Learning Brief is produced from discussions at the first Learning Network session, hosted on 05 November 2020, focusing on The impact of COVID-19 on safety, wellbeing, and vulnerability to crime and violence. The brief includes an overview of the SPRINT project, the nature of violence and crime in South Africa, and some reflections and lessons on the impact of, and response to, COVID-19 by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The COVID-19 pandemic has placed further strain on several strained services. One of the key messages of the brief is the importance of social cohesion and solidarity in addressing underlying causes for violence and crime, especially in the current context of anxiety, stress and uncertainty.

This paper synthesises key findings from primary research conducted in 8 Cape Town neighbourhoods (Eerste River, Freedom Park, Ilitha Park, Kensington, Lost City, Lotus Park, Maitland Garden Village and Manenberg) aimed at understanding the informal backyard housing sector better. The research was conducted as part of the Backyard Matters Project, a partnership initiative between the Development Action Group (DAG), Isandla Institute and Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU), funded by Comic Relief.

A key finding of the fieldwork is that the informal backyard rental market is highly contextual and that social factors can be very important aspects of its functioning – in fact, in some instances, social factors are primary drivers of this market. This certainly differs across neighbourhoods, but it offers an important critique of a more conventional perspective on the backyard rental market as operating purely on a financial logic.

While context matters a great deal in understanding the informal backyard rental sector, this is not to suggest that there are no common themes and opportunities for intervention – be it from the state, the finance sector or other stakeholders. The paper distils 10 key take-away points from the primary data, including some common themes. The paper concludes that interventions and policy considerations aimed at the informal backyard rental market need to be nuanced in responding to relevant contextual factors and opportunities.

This paper elaborates on the important role the backyard housing sector plays in providing (often inadequate) housing solutions. It seeks to provide some insight into the dynamics and contextual nuances that inform local backyard realities and backyard rental markets and the lack of clear policy guidance on how to support and regulate this housing sub-sector. The paper further argues that the Covid-19 pandemic has made existing housing vulnerabilities all the more pertinent, not least because of its anticipated long-lasting socio-economic impacts, and that this creates an even greater sense of urgency to consider programmatic approaches to the backyard rental sector.

This Practice Brief provides a reflection on the land occupations that occurred during the national lockdown in 2020. It argues that these land occupations evidence a genuine housing need in the context of increasing economic insecurity brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Noting the impact increased housing insecurity has on the informal rental market, and on backyarding more particularly, the practice brief provides recommendations on supporting the backyard sector, as well as preventing and responding to land occupations.

This practice brief explores case studies of state interventions in backyarding to understand the limitations and potential in the sector and suggests what more supportive interventions for backyard dwellers could look like. It draws on a model that distinguishes areas of intervention based on the status of land ownership and the intention of the intervention. In so doing, the practice brief offers a reflection on the complexities of responding adequately to the unique needs and challenges that rise in the backyard housing sector, with particular attention given to backyard rental accommodation

This graphic poster appeals to our imagination about how an incrementally developing neighbourhood could look like. It is a visual depiction and interpretation of in-situ upgrading policy as it unfolds in practice over time. NGOs, municipal officials and community development practitioners can creatively use this resource in community engagements and to advocate for community needs and aspirations in an upgrading project. This product was jointly developed by Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC), Development Action Group (DAG), Habitat for Humanity South Africa, Isandla Institute, People’s Environmental Planning (PEP), Ubuhle Bakha Ubuhle (UBU) and Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU). It is based on a submission developed to inform the post-Breaking New Ground (BNG) human settlements policy and legislative environment.

Available in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa. There is also an animation explaining the arguments in Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English, and a comic book in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa

This graphic novel appeals to our imagination about how an incrementally developing neighbourhood could look like. It is a visual depiction and interpretation of in-situ upgrading policy as it unfolds in practice over time. NGOs, municipal officials and community development practitioners can creatively use this resource in community engagements and to advocate for community needs and aspirations in an upgrading project. This product was jointly developed by Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC), Development Action Group (DAG), Habitat for Humanity South Africa, Isandla Institute, People’s Environmental Planning (PEP), Ubuhle Bakha Ubuhle (UBU) and Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU). It is based on a submission developed to inform the post-Breaking New Ground (BNG) human settlements policy and legislative environment.

Available in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa. There is also an animation explaining the arguments in Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English, and a poster in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa

This submission was developed to inform the post-Breaking New Ground (BNG) human settlements policy and legislative environment. It has been prepared by the Cape Town NGO Collaborative Initiative, a collective of urban sector organisations with a wide range of expertise and experience in progressive practice around participatory and incremental informal settlement upgrading, and human settlements development more broadly, in South Africa. These organisations are: Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC), Development Action Group (DAG), Habitat for Humanity South Africa, Isandla Institute, People’s Environmental Planning (PEP), Ubuhle Bakha Ubuhle (UBU) and Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU). There is an animation explaining the arguments in Afrikaans, isiXhosa and English, as well as a comic book in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa and a poster in English/Afrikaans and English/isiXhosa produced from the animation.

This policy brief was developed in the context of the Informal Settlements Data Project, a partnership project between the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading (VPUU), the Community Organisation Resource Centre (CORC) and Isandla Institute, with support from Comic Relief. It draws together lessons emerging from the project, and the broader practice of the partner organisations. 

This booklet intends to support NGOs and the communities they work with to understand the institutions involved in upgrading projects and better navigate related governance processes. It is adapted from an institutional mapping exercise of the informal settlement upgrading sub-sector of human settlements development.

This practice brief moves beyond a concept of conflict management towards a notion of conflict transformation in communities to suggest that strategies for addressing conflict can be constructive in bringing about a change. We unpack the generative potential of contestation and conflict while, at the same time, acknowledging that it can become unproductive in instances where it escalates into violence or where it is used as a deliberate strategy to stall or undermine the process.

A resource for informal settlement upgrading practitioners and community leaders. This poster is an accompaniment to the the guide for municipalities, "Advancing a Co-Production Approach to Upgrading Informal Settlements in South Africa". It promotes communities and municipalities working together to plan, implement and monitor upgrading of informal settlements towards liveable neighbourhoods. 

This guide navigates the various moments in the upgrading process that present opportunities for greater community participation and co-production. It identifies possibilities for co-production and the relationships between all actors in an upgrading project. The guide responds to the realities and constraints facing municipalities, and seeks to assist officials in creating the space and shifting the mind-set across all three spheres of government towards co-production in informal settlement upgrading.

In this practice brief we advance practices that shape and foster more balanced power between men and women, such that they are enabled to participate equally and meaningfully not only in upgrading projects but also in broader society.

In this practice brief, we describe the case of the 2017/2018 Cape Town water crisis and the conditions of water insecurity, which should propel a move towards more sustainable water resources. The practice brief also explores the principles of good water governance and suggests the water service sector can incorporate these principles in to a framework to support future resilience.

In this practice brief, we explore land use management challenges experienced in informal settlement upgrading and how SPLUMA can be leveraged to address these challenges, whilst drawing on experiences and lessons from practice that will help move towards more progressive land use management framework and systems.

This practice brief examines the manifestations of incrementalism as well as the potential and limitations of incremental informal settlement upgrading. The practice brief offers a reflection on the realities of implementing an incremental, co-productive and progressive approach with regards to informal settlement upgrading across South Africa, and concludes with lessons learnt from the Cape Town-based community of practice.

In this practice brief we explore the ways in which informal settlement upgrading interventions can enable residents to move along a continuum from lesser to greater tenure security without privileging individual ownership as the only desirable end-point. It offers some practical recommendations intended to guide the work of informal settlement upgrading practitioners.

Upgrading informal settlements in South Africa: A partnership-based approach (UCT Press) 2016 – ISBN: 9781775820833

This practice brief considers the potential for upgrading interventions to support the livelihood strategies of residents living in informal settlements. Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), it considers the multiple interrelated factors that affect the sustainability of livelihoods, and explores methods that can be used to make sense of local realities.

This practice brief suggests that community capability is a complex concept that consists of multiple dimensions, including skills and competencies, information, assets and values and orientations. These dimensions are interdependent, and may be either constraining or enabling. We consider both the benefits and challenges of enhancing community capability for informal settlement upgrading.

The practice suggests that multi-sectoral partnerships are valuable in processes of informal settlement upgrading as it allows for the combination of approaches aimed at meeting the immediate needs of the urban poor, and those that seek to ensure democratic decision making through participatory local governance. It acknowledges that while partnerships hold both normative and practical benefits, they are by no means easy. Drawing on the experiences of Cape Town-based practitioners the document offers some recommendations for how to mitigate challenges related to multi-sectoral partnerships, and for ensuring meaningful collaboration between diverse stakeholders.

This practice brief provides an overview of upgrading as an approach to development. This serves not only to highlight the merits of upgrading, as well as key principles such as participation and incrementalism, but also to draw out some of the potential limitations to the successful large-scale implementation of upgrading interventions in South Africa.

This practice brief argues that inclusive cities can only be built through processes that draw on the experiences and expertise of local communities. It shows that community-based planning offers key principles and methods that are useful for formulating upgrading interventions that are grounded in community participation and that promote the co-construction of inclusive, just and sustainable urban living environments.

This practice brief argues that actors who are able to hold the space between key stakeholders in the process of informal settlement upgrading have a significant role to play in strengthening development practice in South Africa. Given the complexity of informal settlement upgrading – an approach that requires the involvement of multiple actors with often divergent interests – the practice brief suggests that intermediation is critical to the success of this approach

Consolidating Developmental Local Government: Lessons from the South African Experience (Juta Press) 2008 - ISBN: 9781919895048