A QUICK GUIDE TO DEALING WITH COMMON INFORMAL …

1 A QUICK GUIDE TO DEALING WITH COMMONINFORMAL SETTLEMENT PROBLEMSThe tables in the following five pages provide an easy reference to how thishandbook can help solve some COMMON problems. They are not a short cutto reading the Handbook, however! They deal with the following issues:1)AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT HAS EXISTED ON PUBLICLY-OWNEDLAND FOR SOME TIME, AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DOABOUT IT2)AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT KEEPS ON GROWING, AND YOUWANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTAIN IT3)THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SMALL INFORMAL SETTLEMENTSSCATTERED ABOUT YOUR AREA, AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHATTO DO ABOUT THEM4)YOU ARE EXPECTING AN INFLUX OF HOMELESS PEOPLE ( FROM FARMS) AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TODO ABOUT IT5)YOU ARE UNDER PRESSURE ( FROM NEIGHBOURINGRESIDENTS) TO SOMEHOWGET RID OF AN INFORMALSETTLEMENT AND YOU ARE NOT SURE HOW TO RESPOND6)THERE IS A DESIRE TO UPGRADE AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT,BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE HOW TO START7)

2 YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH ALL YOURINFORMAL SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS, AND ARE NOT SURE HOWTO PRIORITISE ACTIONS8)YOU HAVE AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN AN UNACCEPTABLELOCATION, AND ARE NOT SURE HOWTO GO ABOUTRELOCATING IT9)YOU WOULD LIKE TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY OF ANINFORMALSETTLEMENTSOTHATTHEYCANADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEEDS, BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE WHATSTEPS TO TAKE10)YOU DISCOVER THAT SHACKS ARE BEING ERECTED ON YOURLAND, BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN OCCUPIED11)YOU DISCOVER THAT SHACKS HAVE BEEN ERECTED ON YOURLAND, AND THAT THEY ARE OCCUPIED12 )YOU DISCOVER THAT SHACKS ARE BEING ERECTED ON LANDTHAT IS NOT OWNED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY, BUT WHICH ISWITHIN ITS AREA OF JURISDICTIONA QUICK GUIDE TO DEALING WITH COMMONINFORMAL SETTLEMENT INFORMAL SETTLEMENT HAS EXISTED ON PUBLICLY-OWNED LANDFORSOME TIME, AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ABOUT ITACTIONHANDBOOKREFERENCEMeet with the community leadership and create an advisorycommittee to investigate what to 3 Agree on goals and guiding 2 Undertake a preliminary survey of the as many aspects of the settlement and itscommunity as of Chapter 4 Analyse the 5 Define options for strategies and arrange 7, 9 - INFORMAL SETTLEMENT KEEPS ON GROWING.

3 AND YOU WANT TO BEABLE TO CONTAIN ITACTIONHANDBOOKREFERENCETake steps to learn why it keeps with the community leadership to discuss issues relatedto the settlement and its agreement on the need for a preliminary survey andimplement agreed by all parties, use the results to control densitiesand to enable improvements to be and control growth in partnership with ARE A NUMBER OF SMALL INFORMAL SETTLEMENTSSCATTERED ABOUT YOUR AREA, AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DOABOUT THEMAREAHANDBOOKREFERENCEE stablish what information is already known about eacharea and its within the local authority a preliminary perspectiveon options and preferences for separately with the leadership of each community toget their perspective on their INFORMAL settlement, and on conducting a preliminary a preliminary survey of each settlement anddiscuss the findings separately with each leadership broad strategic with leadership of all INFORMAL settlements together,share the available information, and discuss possibleoptions and 3 Establish a project committeewith representatives of 3 Undertake more detailed socio-economic and of Chapter 4 Analyse the 5 Continue as for Table > ARE EXPECTING AN INFLUX OF HOMELESS PEOPLE ( DISPLACEDFROM FARMS)

4 AND YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ABOUT ITACTIONHANDBOOK REFERENCEO btain an assessment of the need for housing and when itwill how much land will be suitable land in terms of appropriate what kind of infrastructure provision should be 9 Obtain Council agreement to acquire/ release land and installinfrastructure; obtain to at least level the land, peg sites and providebasic infrastructure before people the homeless to the new site and prevent occupationof any other ARE UNDER PRESSURE ( FROM NEIGHBOURING RESIDENTS) TOSOMEHOW GET RID OF AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT AND YOU ARE NOTSURE HOW TO RESPONDACTIONHANDBOOKREFERENCEMeet with representatives of both areas separately to discussthe an analysis of the whole town / area, includingproblems and representatives of both areas to a workshop toconsider the whole area - and the future of the informalsettlement in the creation of a joint committee to research furtherand to identify - on goals and guiding appropriate researchChapter 4 Analyse the 5 Continue as for Table No.

5 1 > IS A DESIRE TO UPGRADE AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT, BUT YOUARE NOT SURE HOW TO STARTACTIONHANDBOOKREFERENCEMeet with community leadership to discuss developmentpossibilities, and create a Project 3 Agree on goals and guiding 2 Agree on a process of participative research and planning -and put that into an upgrading strategy and present it to thecommunity, Council and Housing Board for 9 & 10 ImplementChapter DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH ALL YOUR INFORMALSETTLEMENT PROBLEMS, AND ARE NOT SURE HOW TO PRIORITISEACTIONSACTIONREFERENCEI nvolve other stakeholders - convene a meeting thatincludes representatives of INFORMAL settlement 3 Agree on a process to identify and analyse the issues from anumber of perspectives - and implement 4 & 5 Agree on goals and guiding principles.

6 Record 2 Define options, agree priorities, choose strategies andarrange 6 Make recommendations to the Council and on the basis of HAVE AN INFORMAL SETTLEMENT IN AN UNACCEPTABLELOCATION, AND ARE NOT SURE HOW TO GO ABOUT RELOCATING ITACTIONHANDBOOKREFERENCEI nvite the leadership of the INFORMAL settlement to nominaterepresentatives to an Advisory Committee that will considerthe future of the 3 Agree on goals and guiding 2 The Advisory Committee then commissions an analysis ofthe suitability of the conclusions to Advisory Committee and it is agreed that the settlement is unsuitable, follow theprocess in 4. above to identify suitable land and establish analternative WOULD LIKE TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY OF AN INFORMALSETTLEMENT SO THAT THEY CAN ADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEEDS,BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT STEPS TO TAKEACTIONHANDBOOK a committee with INFORMAL settlement leadership toexplore & address the community s socio-economic 3 Implement an agreed process to research & prioritise opportunities that could meet the 11 Agree on options & strategies, then 5 & DISCOVER THAT SHACKS ARE BEING ERECTED ON YOUR LAND,BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN OCCUPIEDACTIONHANDBOOK those that are erecting shacks that their actions areunauthorized, ask them to immediately vacate the site withtheir material, and inform them of the steps that will be taken ifthey do not.

7 Use a loud-hailer if 8 Immediately remove structures that are partially complete orthat are complete but not yet 8 Seek an urgent court interdict against anyone involved in theprocess of erecting structures. Anyone in contempt of theorder will be 8 Secure the property against invasion with fences, patrols andwarning DISCOVER THAT SHACKS HAVE BEEN ERECTED ON YOUR LAND,ANDTHAT THEY ARE OCCUPIEDACTIONHANDBOOK the squatters that their occupation is the squatters to leave the property, with theirbuilding material. However, you may not force them to 8If they refuse, ask your lawyer what action to 8 Obtain the squatters names, ID numbers, and as muchdetail as possible of their personal circumstances and thehistory of their occupation of the 8If there will be undue hardship to the landowner or imminentdanger of injury to persons or damage to property - apply foran urgent interdict for the removal of the 8 Otherwise, give the squatters 14 days notice of your intentionto apply to the court for an eviction 8 When a court order is issued,ensure that the sheriff isenabled to successfully evict the squatters and remove theirmaterial to a location some distance 8 Secure the property with fences.

8 Patrols and warning DISCOVER THAT SHACKS ARE BEING ERECTED ON LAND THAT ISNOT OWNED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY, BUT WHICH IS WITHIN ITSAREA OF JURISDICTIONACTIONHANDBOOK the owner of the that the owner will take action or that the ownerauthorises the local authority to take action on his follow 10 or 11 above, depending on 8 INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS HANDBOOKINTRODUCTIONI nformal SettlementsPurpose of the HandbookHow to use the HandbookThe frameworkThe ContributorsINFORMAL SETTLEMENTSI nformal settlements are residential areas that do not comply with localauthority requirements for conventional (formal) townships. They are,typically, unauthorised and are invariably located upon land that has notbeen proclaimed for residential use. They exist because urbanisation hasgrown faster than the ability of government to provide land, infrastructureand settlements tend to be characterised by:Infrastructure that is inadequateEnvironments that are unsuitablePopulation densities that are uncontrolled and unhealthily highDwellings that are inadequatePoor access to health & education facilities and employmentopportunitiesLack of effective government and are consequently areas of increasingly high risk with regard tohealth, fire and , INFORMAL settlements are also often characterized by.

9 Significant personal investment in dwellingsStrong social infrastructureEffective community leadershipStrong linkages with the more formally-housed communityThese factors, coupled with insufficient land and finance to just solve thehousing problem dictate that INFORMAL settlements be regarded as places ofvitality and opportunity and not simply as places to be handbook has been written to encourage the acknowledgement,acceptance and improvement of INFORMAL settlements and their communities for there is no real OF THE HANDBOOKThis handbook has been produced to help local authorities understandand address the issues presented by the growth and increasing density ofinformal settlements in the Western Cape Province. It has been publishedby the Provincial Department of Housing and compiled by a steeringcommittee of members of the Department and the City of Cape Town sHousing BranchIt is a file of resources, written by people from many backgrounds but whohave a particular interest in and experience of INFORMAL settlement are involved in local government, some in provincial government,and others are in private sector or academic positions.

10 It is believed thattheir shared perspectives are worth recording and making accessible tothose who deal with INFORMAL settlements on a daily Handbook is not intended to be the last word on informalsettlements - it is more like the first word . It has been presented in a fileso that its contents can be added to and improved at any time. Not onlywill revisions of pages and sections be made available, but its structureenables the user to add notes and documents from other sources thatmay prove isyourhandbook, to be used in whatever way is helpful to you. It ishoped that you will not only find it useful, but will be able to contribute yourexperience to future editions. We need feedback - please send us anyinteresting and relevant information that could be incorporated in theHandbook.