Browsing by Subject "homelessness"

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    An Irreconcilable Policy Problem? A Study of Local Government Responses to Street Homelessness
    (2026) Abrahams, Jane; Naidoo, Vinothan
    Homelessness is a pervasive socio-economic phenomenon that has occurred across the world for centuries. Though a universal definition is difficult to settle on, it is largely agreed that homelessness occurs as the result of the dynamic interplay between economic hardship, social dislocation and various institutional determinants. Although homelessness affects all countries, regardless of their level of development, South Africa's complex history of racial discrimination, geographical and economic exclusion, and inheritance of deep, structural inequalities, has given rise to a unique form of homelessness, most commonly seen on the streets of the country's metropolitan municipalities. South African street homeless populations are highly fragmented and are extremely vulnerable members of the population. They experience intense marginalisation and exclusion from public places and are mostly incapable of supporting themselves. Although homelessness is largely viewed as a public nuisance and threat which the state must regulate, policy responses also see the state as having a social responsibility to provide support to the homeless. Thus, this study investigates how metropolitan municipalities manage the irreconcilable tension between policing and supporting the street homeless, using the City of Cape Town as a case study. Baillergeau's (2014) conflicting rationalities framework was used to analyse the City's response to street homelessness. Semi-structured, key informant interviews were conducted with city officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations. It was found that, as a result of inadequate national and provincial government frameworks for addressing street homelessness, municipalities in urban areas have struggled to balance the conflicting demands of maintaining the safety and integrity of public spaces, with the provision of social and economic support for those living rough on the street. Due to the compounding effect of chronic homelessness, guidance from the outdated Street People Policy (2013), the strict enforcement of city by-laws and insufficient institutional capacity and resources, the City has been unable to effectively balance the pressure of criminalising homelessness, with the provision of psycho-social and material support for these groups. This research concludes that although the City has been criticised for the manner in which it has historically responded to the street homeless, it has in recent years, been proactive in revising its strategy to manage the vulnerabilities which the street homeless face in a more humane way, whilst retaining its broader responsibility towards the protection of public spaces.
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    Government responses to street homelessness in South Africa
    (Taylor & Francis (Routledge), 2010) Naidoo, Vinothan
    This paper reviews government responses intended to assist the street homeless in South Africa. The paper demonstrates that in South Africa the legislation and policy responses to the problem of street homelessness have been to a great extent shaped by the broader circumstances of a larger population living in informal housing, with whom the street homeless share intimate ties through social instability and economic poverty. This context has resulted in an intersectoral legislative and policy framework shaped mainly by two sectors – Social Welfare and Housing – that has prioritised various preventive measures to reduce the structural, social and economic risks and vulnerability of becoming homeless on the street. Given its nature, this framework has been and continues to be highly dependent on effective collaboration and coordination between government departments.
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    The Social Exclusion of Homeless Menstruators within the Sanitary Dignity Framework and its Implementation
    (2021) Ramafalo, Katleho; Smythe, Dee
    The Sanitary Dignity Framework (2019) is a policy that aims to preserve and maintain indigent girls' and women's dignity during menstruation. In South Africa, the term “sanitary dignity”, can be equated to what the rest of the world recognizes as menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Sanitary dignity or MHM is centred around the provision of menstrual health hygiene products (MHPs) such as tampons and sanitary pads to anyone who menstruates and cannot afford to purchase MHPs for themselves. Limited of access to MHPs, water and sanitation facilities, and privacy make it impossible for vulnerable menstruators to achieve sanitary dignity. This policy excludes street-based homeless menstruators as it only makes provisions for those who have access to state-funded institutions such as; quintile 1, 2, and 3 schools, mental institutions, hostels, places of care, and prisons. Street-based homeless menstruators are marginalized twofold; they reside on the streets and they menstruate. This dissertation discusses how the social exclusion of street-based homeless menstruators within the Sanitary Dignity Framework strips them of their fundamental right to dignity by denying them access to the sanitary dignity they are entitled to.