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State. The study was cross-sectional, aiming to describe the current state of social housing and its impact on urban regeneration within a specific timeframe. The University’s ethics committee reviewed and approved the studies involving human participants. Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the participants with ethical clearance number FRIC:2023-05(1).
Data collection
The collection of primary data was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with n=17 key informants affiliated with social housing projects. The participants were selected by purposive sampling, specifically targeting important individuals involved in the social housing sector of the Free State, as demonstrated in Table 1.
table 1: research participants (semi-structured interviewees)
orgaNISatIoN
INtervIeWee’S tItLe
department of human Settlements
Mangaung Municipality
human Sciences research Council (hSrC) Powerhouse Properties
Siqalo Property
uofS
Source: Research data
This included representatives from local government, the business sector, social housing organisations, and scholarly scholars. In all, 25 interviews were carried out, with each interview lasting around 30 minutes. Although most interviews were carried out in person, a few participants chose to communicate via email because of scheduling conflicts. While the interviews were led by standardised questions, enough freedom was preserved to enable participants to offer further insights.
Data analysis
Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data, following the six-phase approach outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). This method enabled the identification and interpretation of key themes related to the role of social housing in driving urban regeneration in the Free State. The process involved familiarising with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report.
Limitations
One of the main challenges encountered during data collection was accessing comprehensive information on social housing and urban regeneration initiatives specific
to the Free State. Much of the available literature and reports focused on larger urban centres, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban. While reports from organisations such as the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (CAFH) and Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) provided valuable information, the lack of peer- reviewed journal articles specifically addressing urban regeneration in the Free State posed a significant limitation.
The study faced several limitations, including the difficulty in accessing specific data related to social housing and urban regeneration in the Free State, as much of the available literature focused on other regions in South Africa. Additionally, the reliance on notetaking during interviews due to participants’ discomfort with recording may have affected the depth of the data collected. This limitation may have resulted in the loss of some nuances in the data. However, the flexibility in the interview process allowed for a richer understanding of the participants’ perspectives, which was a valuable lesson learned. Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into the role of social housing in urban regeneration, contributing to the broader understanding of these issues within the South African context.
Deputy director: Human Settlement development planning (1) Deputy director: Housing Programmes implementation (1) Rental officer (2)
Policy and planning officer (1)
Housing officer (2)
Policy and planning officer (1) Allocations and Tenant management (2) Researcher (1)
Real estate agent (2)
Rental administrator (2)
Town planner (2)
totaL
N=17
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Proceedings of the conference on Public innovation, develoPment and sustainability