Abstracts

69 to serve as a useful tool for informing and structuring ethical collaborations within the housing sphere. Moving Forward: New Strategies and Opportunities “The rich command space; the poor are trapped by it” (Harvey, 2009, p. 173). This quotation encapsulates the historic and contemporary housing terrain, especially the open market. Within the private market, data illustrate that to afford a house (on the cheaper end of the spectrum), a household would need a monthly income over R11,000 ($747). As of 2010, only 19% of households earned more than R8000 ($544). This leaves 81% of South Africans out of the formal market, creating a significant gap for households that earn between R3500 ($238) and R8000 ($544) (Landman & Napier, 2010, p. 301). This bracket does not qualify for subsidized RDP houses and earns far too little to participate in the formal market. Scholars often refer to this need in terms of “gap housing” (p. 302). It is evident that the government alone cannot properly and fully address the gap within low-income housing options. Ultimately, rectifying housing disparities and disrupting interwoven systematic implications will take the commitment, collaboration, and efforts of many players. City Densification and Expansion of Rental Opportunities Densification can establish a framework that centers historically marginalized populations and some issues they face (Turok, 2011, pp. 470–474). Population density can be understood as the number of residents divided by the housing supply. Generally, densification is a complicated and ambiguous process, requiring a balance of competing and contradictory methods to accomplish. South African cities and their density patterns are shaped by racist zoning policies. Thus, density trends in South Africa are inverted, meaning they rise with distance from the center of the city, with the result that the average urban density is comparatively lower in other countries of the same income bracket. Some argue that denser urban spaces can support more productive and sustainable economies and environments. Other rationales for densification include social inclusion, through increasing access to employment opportunities within a closer proximity. This could possibly bypass some of the burden and cost of public transportation for people moving in from the periphery of the city. Densification requires changes in both the supply and demand of housing. Turok (2011) argues that the assumption often held by planners with regard to densification is that all barriers to housing are connected to a lack of supply. The easy solution to this is to build more housing to accommodate a higher density. He writes, “the approach appears to be ‘if houses are built, people will come,’ without questioning which people will come and in what number” (p. 475). Failure to consider interconnected social issues, like household income, may cloud perceptions of demand. Turok provides a comprehensive list of considerations and implications for plans to help densify South African cities: 1) better comprehension of tensions between the central objectives of densification is necessary; 2) more nuance within density targets is vital; 3) additional knowledge about existing housing dynamics and how they may perpetuate harm is needed; 4) household attitudes and preferences are poorly understood (access to jobs and amenities, housing costs/parameters of affordability, relationship to land, etc.); and 5) much uncertainty surrounds the condition of vacant and under-used land, its ownership, and the infrastructure/developmental capacity (p. 476). As stated, there are many under- considered factors surrounding the main dialogue of densification. City densification must be considered within a framework of social inclusion in order to reduce, as opposed to induce, further marginalization. Expanding rental housing options is a strategy that is gaining traction across South Africa. Buildings architecturally designed to house larger numbers of residents, in conjunction with state-subsidized rent, could be a strategy for city densification. Rental complexes can be designed with multiple floors and comfortably accommodate more people