Why low-income people leave state housing in South Africa?

The provision of homes for low-income urban residents has been a central aspect of post-apartheid measures aimed at addressing both land and socioeconomic disparities in South Africa. Within this context, policymakers and researchers have been puzzled by the actions of housing beneficiaries who choose to vacate their government-provided houses, either by selling or renting them out. On one hand, this phenomenon may indicate upward mobility, where these individuals successfully transition into the housing market, advancing their position on the "property ladder." On the other hand, it could suggest that these "leavers" are unable to afford to stay in their government houses and consequently find themselves in worse living conditions.

However, due to methodological obstacles, there is a scarcity of research on the experiences and viewpoints of these "leavers." This article utilizes narrative interviews with such individuals to challenge the notion of progress or failure. Instead, it argues that the act of "leaving" can be interpreted as a people-driven reconfiguration of pro-poor housing policies, representing alternative pathways toward inclusion that are individually tailored but partially constrained, even 25 years after the end of apartheid.

Abstract based on original source.