Supporting the foundations of self-build: Lessons from the Right to Build Initiative

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.