FOR THE INNER CITY HOMELESS COMMUNITY OF

JOHANNESBURG

LONE POULSEN

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
FACULTY OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND

In addition, the programme attempts to bridge the gap between homelessness and the ability to reintegrate with society. Firstly, through the provision of rental accommodation for persons earning between R400.00 and R1250.00 per month and ultimately aiming to link occupants to affordable permanent housing. Secondly, through development and support initiatives that empower the homeless, such as, personal upliftment programmes, establishing linkages to other training programmes, employment opportunities, encouraging entrepreneurship and assisting people to develop viable business opportunities. Thirdly, by facilitating access to education, health and welfare programmes; and fourthly, networking within the Transitional Housing Programme for linkages to opportunities, and developing mutual and shared experiences to inform other initiatives.

The Transitional Housing pilot programme has been in operation for a period of time now, and the Transitional Housing Implementation Team has embarked on a process of monitoring the five facilities. The monitoring programme being implemented is an essential and ongoing process to learn from, and to inform new initiatives, as well as, to explore other options and alternatives. The identified successes and problems can then be analysed and the PHB policy adapted as part of the process of motivating for Transitional Housing to be recognised within the general housing delivery programme.

Although, the five facilities are all called Transitional Housing they are very different in the way in which they function and manage their facilities; their location in the city; the services and support offered and; the accommodation and living environments which they provide. What follows is a brief description of each of the five Transitional Housing projects. 

 
IMMACULATA HOUSE

Immaculata House is run by the Sisters of Mercy, an order of the Catholic Church, along religious principles but there is no required doctrine. The project is located adjacent to the catholic school, the Rosebank police station, the Rosebank Hotel and residential blocks of flats. in close proximity to the heart of the Rosebank shopping district. Immaculata House is thus quite visible in the area and has a good interactive relationship with the surrounding community. The project is managed by the Sisters and two managers, who live on the premises.

The project can accommodate 100 single persons, 80 male and 20 female. The residents range in age but are predominantly over 40 years old. Most people are unemployed and obtain work on a casual basis. The advanced age of the majority of the residents make it difficult for them to find permanent work in a highly competitive job market. The length of stay ranges from one month to five years. The rental charged is R2.00 per day or R60.00 per month. Residents are required to vacate the premises between 07:00 and 17:00 to look for work, and are only allowed to remain if they are unwell.


The building was originally a church hall with its ancillary spaces, which has been adapted for use as a transitional housing project. Each resident is allocated an armchair which converts into a bed at night and a locker for personal belongings. The main hall, where the men sleep, has the chairs and lockers arranged along the walls and in rows in the centre. The stage is allocated to the youths and the basement under the stage is reserved, as a quieter space, for the elderly men. The women are accommodated in a similar way in another large room which is also used as the laundry sorting room. There are communal male and female ablutions off the foyer to the main hall, which are also accessible from the street for use, at a small fee, by other homeless persons not accommodated in the project. A laundry service is operated for residents and non-residents at a small cost per item of clothing. The kitchen staff cook two meals a day, breakfast and supper, for residents and non-residents. The communal dining room doubles as a TV room. A largish room off the main hall serves as a lounge and has a small library area. Other facilities include a sick room, a staff meeting/tea room and an office space. Public pay phones are located in the foyer. Although, the buildings are quite old they have a generally good standard of finish. This makes the spaces easy to maintain and keep clean because of appropriate materials and a management system which requires that residents and non-residents clean up after themselves. The main problem expressed by residents was a lack of privacy and some minor racial tensions.

The project provides assistance with problems related to ID documents and pensions, basic first aid and access to medical facilities eg. Johannesburg General Hospital. Employment is obtained through casual jobs in the neighbouring community and a car guard scheme developed in conjunction with the Rosebank police station. Immaculata House is a well managed and compassionate facility. The project and the surrounding area is perceived to be safe and secure.


CORNELIUS HOUSE

Cornelius house is run by the Johannesburg Trust for the Homeless, a partnership between the Central Johannesburg Partnership, the Central Methodist Mission and the St. George=s United Church. The project is located in Marshalltown, an industrial area on the southern edge of the Johannesburg CBD. The surroundings are predominantly industrial and warehouse buildings. The project is therefore, quite isolated from other residential facilities but within walking distance of job and recreational opportunities in the inner city of Johannesburg. The project is managed by a co-ordinator employed by the Johannesburg Trust for the Homeless, a day manager and a night manager who live on the premises. The project has strict security access control and the comings and goings are monitored. 

The project can accommodate around 200 people made up of single persons, couples and families. There are 67 units : 34 family units for four persons; 23 units for two persons sharing and 10 units for 3 persons sharing. The residents are mad up of both genders and a range of age groups. There is also a mixture of people with regular/permanent employment and others who have temporary casual jobs. The rentals depend on the accommodation : family rooms R250.00 per month, couples R200.00 per month and singles sharing R100.00 per person per month. There is currently a rental increased proposed which has lead to some conflict and a need for mediation. 

The building is a four storey warehouse which has been renovated and adapted for transitional housing. The large open plan spaces of the warehouse have been subdivided into rooms along the edges and in the centre. The internal rooms tend to be dark and natural ventilation is provided through a gap between the walls and the roof slab. Communal male and female ablutions are located on each floor. The first floor of the building is given over to a communal kitchen, dining area and recreational area. Part of the kitchen area is being fitted out for a bakery course which is to run from the facility as a training initiative. A communal laundry is located on the top floor of the building with a large open but indoor drying area. Residents do their own cooking and laundry in the communal spaces. There is a shop selling second hand goods, meeting rooms and public phones on the first floor. On the ground floor is a spaza shop run by one of the residents which sells to the street and a large workshop which is to be used for job creation initiatives eg. welding and fixing of cars. Generally the spaces provided are good and adequate, but the finishes are not of a high quality and will require extensive maintenance in the long run. There is a problem of cleanliness in the shared facilities with residents not cleaning up after themselves and perhaps also related to the choice of materials. The building occupies the whole stand and there is no outside space except for the street for the residents or children to recreate in. 


The project has a number of empowerment and training programmes in house and linked to other organisations. The Trust runs a personal upliftment programme and encourages entrepreneurship from the residents themselves. There is a sewing initiative and a micro-bakery project being established in the communal kitchen which will train people from Cornelius House and other Transitional Housing projects. Linkages to other organisations have included a hospitality programme run by Quantas Airlines cabin crew and day-care training at the Metropolitan Council.

The co-ordinator dedicates an enormous amount of time and energy to Cornelius House. There have been a number of problems and some important learning experiences related to management, rental negotiations, job creation initiatives and linkages to other organisations. Although the project seems to be running well there are some questions about whether the project is really reaching those it was intended for as it seems that word is getting round that this project provides reasonable and cheap accommodation within a scarce residential rental market in the inner city.


PUTADITJHABA HOUSE

Putaditjaba House has been a problematic project in that it has been under several `managements= since it began and no one has taken full responsibility until the Learn and Earn Trust became involved during 1999. The project is located in Pageview/ Vrededorp in the western part of the inner city of Johannesburg. This area was the subject of forced removals and some of the residents of Putaditjhaba were victims of the removals and remained in the area as `squatters=. Prior to their move into Putaditjhaba House many of the people lived in shacks inside a refuse dump in the area. The adjacent area is predominantly residential with single or semi-detached houses on very small stands, blocks of flats, old age homes and some commercial buildings. The neighbourhood is very racially mixed although, the races tend to live in previously designated parts of the area. The relationship between Putaditjhaba and the surrounding neighbourhood has at times been tense and problematic. There are two vacant pieces of land on either side of building, one is used by the children to play in and the other is used by a number of shebeens, some run by residents of Putaditjhaba. These open spaces are not maintained and do not belong to the project. 

The project is being run by a co-ordinator for the Learn and Earn Trust and two managers who were part of the homeless community living in the area, and who now live in the facility. Security is limited as access is through one gate which is not locked during the day and people come and go at will. Admission criteria have not strictly been adhered to due to the fact that this was a pre-existent community which moved into the project and the lack of consistent management. Although, there are house rules these in reality exist only on paper. The project is well located in terms of access to facilities, employment opportunities and transport within the city.

The projects can accommodate 120 persons in 50 units (2m x 3m in size) with bunk beds and lockers in each room. There are a mixture of single males and females sharing rooms, couples and families. The age groups vary from young children to pensioners. The income levels are very low as most people are unemployed and rely on nonpermanent casual work for money. The rentals are R80.00 per person per month. There are many social problems in this facility including alcohol and drug abuse. 


The building was an industrial building which has been converted into Transitional Housing. A second level has been inserted into the height of the shed which has been subdivided into rows of rooms with 2 metre high walls and a steel mesh ceiling to allow for light and ventilation. The one half of the lower level has similarly been subdivided into rows of rooms with 2.5 metre high walls and steel mesh ceilings. The rest of the lower level consists of communal male and female ablution facilities; a communal kitchen and dining room where residents cook and eat their own meals; and an office for the manager. A laundry with wash tubs is located in an outbuilding and washing lines are strung across the only open space on the property which is also the entrance space to the facility. As described earlier the two adjacent vacant stands are used by the residents for recreation purposes. Generally the accommodation is quite gloomy and the finishes are of a poor quality which will require extensive and costly maintenance. The building relies on windows in the external walls and ventilators in the roof for natural light and ventilation. Internal rooms rely on the open grid mesh ceilings for light and ventilation. There is a lack of privacy due to the low walls and open ceilings. Artificial lighting is communal and power points are located in the passages. There is a problem with cleanliness and hygiene, due both to the finishes and the fact that people do not clean up after themselves when using the communal facilities.

This project has and still is experiencing many problems. However, the issues are complex and relate not only to the project but to the past history of the area and the community, as well as a lack of management and support. Social problems and unemployment are also contributors. Although the conditions which people live in are by no means ideal, they are better than the squatter settlement which they lived in before and many residents treat Putaditjhaba as permanent accommodation. There has been a marked improvement since new management has taken over and the introduction of a number of programmes such as a creche, and aids awareness programme, home care and a proposal for a basket making project.


HI-LIFE CENTRE

The Hi-Life Centre is run by Operation Job Creation which is a Non-profit organisation. The project is located in the CBD of Roodepoort, opposite the town hall and adjacent to the fire station. It therefore, has good access to employment opportunities and other amenities. The project is run by a co-ordinator for Operation Job Creation, two managers and a security manager. There is a residents committee which meets with the residents one a month and with management once a week. The projects adheres firmly to the admission criteria and has a set of comprehensive house rules.

The project can accommodate 104 people. The final building alterations have not been completed yet but the accommodation consists of varying room sizes for single males or females sharing, single mothers sharing and family rooms. The age and population race groups are very diverse. The education and skills levels are varied; and employment levels includes permanent jobs and casual workers. The rentals are R150.00 per person per month and payment arrears are a problem.

The project consists of a group of buildings which were originally a police station and magistrates court with cells. They were later converted into a SANCA rehabilitation centre and are now in the process of being adapted to a Transitional Housing project. The smaller buildings on the main street are the visitors reception and lounge with TV, the administrative offices and public telephones. There is a separate controlled residents entrance gate off a side street which is locked after 20:00. The larger buildings consist of rooms of varying sizes which are allocated to groups of residents according to needs. There are shared ablution facilities scattered throughout the building and allocated to particular groups of residents. There is a communal kitchen and dining room where all the residents eat. The meals, washing up and cleaning of communal areas are done by the residents on a roster system. Residents are responsible for the cleanliness of their own rooms and no cooking is allowed in the rooms. There is a creche in the building and all children go to schools in the surrounding areas. The buildings are old but of a high quality of materials and finishes which are easy to keep clean and maintain. The buildings have internal courtyard spaces which allow for natural light and ventilation to all rooms. There are small garden spaces around the buildings and a large courtyard space between the buildings in which children and adults can recreate. 


The project provides assistance to the residents in the form of help with legal aid eg. small claims, divorces, marriages; the industrial relations act is taught; bible studies; personal development course `who am I?=;access to baking and sewing courses and recycling initiatives. The project is well managed and the success record in helping people to move on is good. The residents appear to get on well and to like the place. There is a lack of personal privacy but the smaller rooms and bathrooms reduce the numbers sharing. Although there is easy access to all amenities, the surrounding area is perceived to be dangerous at night. 


EKUTHULENI

Ekuthaleni is run by Mes-Aksie which is part of the NG Church group. The project is located in Joubert Park in the inner city of Johannesburg and thus has access to all of the opportunities and amenities of the inner city. The surrounding area includes commercial and high density residential uses. The project is managed by the Mes-Aksie co-ordinator and a manager who lives on the premises. There is one entrance onto the property and a security controlled entrance to the building adjacent to a visitors room. The project has a house committee which is elected and meets once a month. There are also regular meetings between management and the house committee. The project has a cleaning person for the communal spaces.

The project can accommodate 147 persons. There are 20 families and 70 single males and females who share 3 per room with double bunks and lockers. There are more females than males but a mix of all age groups. The education and skills levels vary from no schooling to technical education. Most residents are in semi-permanent jobs. The rentals are R100.00 deposit and R125.00 per person per month. 

The building was designed by Sir Herbert Baker and built in 1930. It was originally a Catholic Convent before being converted into the Turkish Baths. It was later abandoned and left to ruin before being illegally occupied by homeless persons. In 1999 it was transformed into a Transitional Housing project. The building is laid out around a set of internal courtyards which provide natural light and ventilation. The spaces have been subdivided into groups of rooms for families, couples and single persons sharing. An existing large hall space has become a communal kitchen, where residents cook their own meals, and a communal dining room and TV room. There are communal bathrooms for males and females, and communal laundry facility off a courtyard space which is also used as a drying yard. There is also a creche run by one of the residents who has received child care training. Residents are responsible for the cleanliness of their own rooms and are also requested to pitch in with the cleaning of shared spaces. Although the buildings are old the standard and quality of finishes is good and fairly easy to maintain. Outdoor play and recreation takes place in the courtyard spaces. 

The project provides a life skills course called `Free to grow=, social worker counselling, business training through `games=, a savings scheme and a clothing bank. Generally the project is well managed and the running of the project is transparent to the residents so that they are made aware of the costs involved in the running of the project. 

  The author of this paper can be contacted here.

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