Making a housing impact, achieving change
THE Johannesburg Social Housing Company (JOSHCO) was established out of a great need to provide quality rental housing for Johannesburg residents.
The City of Johannesburg identified the demand for decent, affordable rental accommodation for people who migrated to the city in search of better opportunities.
After a decade of dedicated work, some notable successes, new developments and valuable learning the company celebrates its tenth year in operation with the goal of providing quality, affordable housing designed to world-class standards that contribute to a sustainable, resilient, liveable city by 2040.
As JOSHCO moves into its next phase, the original intention to redress deep-seated spatial inequalities created in the past still remains relevant. JOSHCO has a clear sense of what the City of Johannesburg will look like in 2040 and that picture is very different from the past.
JOSHCO’s goal is for a Johannesburg where all who live in the city, have a decent, safe and comfortable home. Unlike private initiatives, JOSHCO has a developmental mandate and the backing of the City of Johannesburg. The company is not measured on the returns it generates but rather on the quality of service it provides to its tenants and how many houses it builds.
“For many people, work is needed to pay the bills and to feed families,” says Zeona Jacobs, chairperson of JOSHCO since April 2012, “but for us, working for JOSHCO is a privilege which gives us the opportunity to change lives,” she adds. One of JOSHCO’s primary objectives is to transform the lives of their tenants by providing quality, affordable, safe and clean accommodation.
The company achieves this not only by providing physical structures for tenants to move into but also through relentless work with individuals and all stakeholders in building sustainable communities.
In order to build sustainable communities JOSHCO needs to change the way people value property and understand their rights.
“Education is a large part of what we do,” says CEO of JOSHCO, Rory Gallocher.
“In many instances our tenants are first-time renters and the rights and obligations of how to be responsible tenants do need to be communicated.” This is done through workshops that JOSHCO’s tenants are obliged to attend before signing a lease agreement.
“We deal primarily with people who live outside any formal system,” explains former chairperson of JOSHCO, Ishmael Mkhabela.
“We accept that there is a culture of non-payment just as we understand that there has been a lot of exploitation in rental accommodation particularly from unscrupulous landlords. We firmly believe that by providing our tenants with secure tenure we are in our own way affirming their existence. We are empower- ing them.”
However, simply educating tenants would not be successful, if conducted in the absence of trust.
“While communication and education is an on-going process trust is also a big issue,” explains Gallocher.
“We have learned that the major- ity of residents are ordinary and responsible citizens who are very willing to fulfil their contractual obligations, but often need the support of a respectful and caring landlord that is tuned in to the social and economic challenges in the environment.
“JOSHCO is a company that cares. We are a service provider and as the landlord we must respect our tenants.
“All accommodation managed by JOSHCO is and always will be safe and well-run,” says Gallocher.
In order to build sustainable communities, JOSHCO gets involved by developing community initiatives like HIV/AIDS programmes that offer awareness campaigns, testing and condom distribution as well as coordinating special community events. These include a World Cup tournament that kicked off when South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010.
Residents living in hostels were encouraged to participate and JOSHCO hosted the event. In addition, the company regularly has Youth Days, Family Days and Kids Fun Day activities.
JOSHCO employees are wellknown for rolling up their sleeves in community clean-up campaigns where all members of staff, regardless of level, are expected to participate. Units, apartment blocks and estates are given a thorough clean and employees engage the community on the importance of hygiene.
JOSHCO also conducts anti-crime campaigns like ‘Sports against Crime’ and ‘Campaigns against Women and Child Abuse’. Community Policing Forums are also introduced to communities in order to create safer neighbourhoods.
The partnership between the community and the police is valuable because it gets community members actively involved in their community’s well-being.
JOSHCO firmly advocates for residents within a community to be active and involved in the progress and development of the company’s projects in their community. JOSHCO’s new business plan calls for programmes that encourage active citizenry.
“We have learnt over time that the more you engage the community, the less complaints you will receive. You have to be transparent and tell them how much money you have. You have to agree on a structured plan going forward,” says Cheryl Holmes, one of JOSHCO’s executive managers.
She says JOSHCO is also developing incentive programmes and competitions to get the communities actively engaged and interested in the spaces that they live in. JOSHCO shows genuine interest in job creation and small to medium-sized enterprise development.
The company has contributed to the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) by employing people to assist with the construction and refurbishments on their projects. In addition, JOSHCO shows a keen interest in the development of locallybased enterprises.
“In the 2012-2013 financial year, JOSHCO spent R219-million on procuring services from small and medium sized enterprises,” says Jacobs. Sedick Galant has been a subcontractor for JOSHCO since 2005 and says that it was through them that he received his first big opportunity while working on the Kliptown Square Flats.
“I was very small at the time but they gave me a chance to prove myself to them and I have been working with JOSHCO ever since,” says Galant. This really helped me because now I run a bigger company and I am able to employ more people,” adds Galant.