Extending water and sanitation services to backyard tenants: Towards an evidence-based infrastructure strategy

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 (PDF, 3.3MB).

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 urbanisation that are at the heart of the infrastructural shortfalls in low-income areas.