Page 97 - DUT ICGA Abstract Book

LIVING CONDITIONS AND PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY IN IN COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL UNITS WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ETHEKWINI
BT Makanishe
Maurice Webb Race Relations Unit University of KwaZulu-Natal
Abstract
The transformation of public hostels to more inclusive and family-friendly Community Residential Units (CRUs) has been one of of the the the post-apartheid social development priorities The overall aim of of the the the programme was was to to to transform hostels into sustainable human settlements The study was was conducted to to to evaluate the the the progress in in in the the the provision of of public services to hostels by assessing the the the living conditions of of residents in in in CRUs within the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality The The study is based on field surveys conducted in 2018 with a a a a a a proportionate sample of of 1218 residents drawn from a a a a a a total of of 55 513 CRU residentpopulationineThekwini Thefindingsarebasedontheviewsofperceptionsofhostelresidentsof their living conditions and access to to basic services It does not delve into the the the reasons why the the the government has has been been or has has not been been able to meet their expectations vis-à-vis service delivery Framed within the the Sustainable Human Settlements the study found that plans to to transform hostels into family-friendly CRUs are yet to be achieved Evidence in the study shows although residents were generally happy with some service delivery such as access to water electricity and sanitation they were concerned about crime levels and the poor maintenance of hostels Such conditions are not conducive to a a a a a a a viable family environment The study findings call for for a a a a a a a a a a more transformative innovation approach aimed at at at not only upgrading the physical infrastructure of CRUs but also paying more attention to residents through empowerment skills development and employment initiatives to ensure the ideals of sustainable human settlements are attained in in the context of CRUs KEYWORDS: Hostels Community Residential Units Living Conditions Public Service Delivery Transformative Innovation Sustainable Human Settlements Book of Abstracts 95