Formal residential markets in urban areas

This case study draws on research that examined the formal urban housing market in South Africa. The research study was carried out by Genesis Analytics on behalf of Urban LandMark. This case study draws extensively on that work, which is gratefully acknowledged. Some learning and reflection activities based on the case study are provided. The next part of the document examines the logic of the formal housing market, how it works and why it often fails poor people. It also examines how the legislative environment has been operating counter to the logic of the market and points out that working in synergy with market forces would assist in achieving pro-poor outcomes. The final component of this document includes a summary of the key points that were covered in the case study and recommendations arising from it.

This resource is part of a larger collection of case studies developed by Urban LandMark to translate research findings into learning materials.