http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:01:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I wrote this article for the current issue of ACCESSHousing (No. 5, January 2007) which is available on the FinMark Trust’s website.  I thought it might be a useful way to get back to a regular posting…   By now we should all know that the old saying “what you don’t know can’t ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=78 I’m aware that I haven’t written for quite a while.  As an interim offering, here is a useful website I just happened upon.  Apparently, the Social Housing Foundation collects SA news clippings relating to social and other forms of low income housing.  Go to http://www.shf.org.za/newsroom/archive.html for regular updates. http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=77 There have been a few new mortgage products launched over the past couple weeks.  In the context of rapidly rising consumer debt and rapidly falling rates of house price growth, this could be construed as an effort by the financial sector to retain their customers ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=76 I am thrilled to copy out here an email I received yesterday.  The Johannesburg Housing Company has fundamentally altered Johannesburg’s inner city, introducing residential accommodation where for years there was none, and making a place for low-middle income people in the city.  I’m sure all of South Africa is just ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=75 More on last week’s Department of Housing’s “pre-plenary” session regarding its social contract for rapid housing delivery.    The Social Contract was signed by over forty delegates and housing sector representatives attending a 3-day symposium in Cape Town, last year September.  That meeting was followed by a plenary session in March ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=74 Township ideals?  Nuance is important   Last week the Department of Housing convened a “pre-plenary” session regarding its social contract for rapid housing delivery.  In the course of the proceedings, there was an interesting moment which I think sheds far more light than its authors would like on just what we’re building ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=73 The 50 basis point increase in the interest rate announced by the Reserve Bank last week (the second in recent months) should not, on its own, make a huge dent in household affordability.  With prime now at 11,5%, up from 10,5% at the beginning of June the average monthly payment ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=72 I did a double-take surfing the internet the other day.  Under the heading “Developers bailing out”, it was reported that a higher interest rate, “coupled with softer housing demand are likely to force a number of developers out of the market, with those active in the lower to middle end ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=71 Here’s the last of the four “update” posts to cover the period while I was away.  After yesterday’s revelation that the supply of new housing stock is limited and capacity to accelerate the rate of delivery appears very limited, the resale market seems to be the only option.  Unfortunately, however, ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=70 While (as noted in yesterday’s post) the capacity of the state machinery to facilitate housing delivery has been called to question, Rand Merchant Bank and First National Bank both announced new projects.    RMB’s project involves a loan agreement with the Dutch Development Bank (FMO) in the Netherlands for 33 million ... http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/za/?p=69