EDITORIAL

CREATING HOMES

BY Rafael Armada | EDITOR

ACCORDING TO the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), globally there are some 100 million homeless people and around 1.6 billion lacking adequate housing. Experts say that this figure could rise to 3 billion by 2030. In order to house these people, the world will need to build 96 000 new affordable homes every day. Currently, around 50% of the global population lives in cities, and this number is expected to rise to 70% by 2050. 

The situation in South Africa is also challenging. As Ernest Harsch reports in Africa Renewal, the Department of Human Settlements estimates that 2.7 million low-cost houses were built over the past 15 years, yet there is still an estimated backlog of 2 million . At an average of six people per family, that leaves some 12 million people in dire need of houses. In the 30 years of democracy, almost 5 million households were accommodated, mainly through the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP), but delivery has slowed down drastically over the past decade. At its peak in 1998-99, the SA government built more than 235 000 RDP houses annually. In 2022-23, the number had decreased to 34 000, according to The Guardian publication. The same media quotes Nick Budlender of Ndifuna Ukwazi—a community-based NGO which advocates for urban land justice —as stating: “There are millions of people on the housing waiting list and many more living in inadequate housing – it’s a massive issue.” 

Millions leave their homes and even their countries due to various reasons such as poverty, unemployment or war and conflicts. These and other causes comprise understandable motives that push these people to search for a new future. They often arrive in overcrowded cities and hostile environments when they reach their destinations. They are forced to occupy congested informal settlements or undignified dwellings. Others end up in the streets after family breakdowns or diverse challenging personal situations. 

What response can we give, as Christians, when confronted with this reality? The words of Jesus in Matthew 25 resound in our ears: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…” or “the Son of man has no place to lay his head” (Mathew 8:20). They also evoke in us the Nativity scene in which Joseph and Mary cannot find a place at the inn to bring Jesus into the world. 

The right to a shelter is a basic human right and we cannot accept its continuous denial as a condition of business as usual. Advocacy for dignified housing for all is part of our commitment to justice. 

Against this background, some initiatives attempting to respond to this reality are presented in this Worldwide edition. Among them are: the inter-faith collaboration project at Dennis Hurley Centre, the space-creation programs run by the Thswane Leadership Foundation and the welcoming and integration of migrants at Mission Emmanuel. These are all inspiring stories depicting genuine love in action. They are food for thought for this season which we are now entering into. Advent is a time when we look at the meaning of hope, a favourable opportunity for preparing ourselves to celebrate Christmas, contemplating how we can welcome the homeless Jesus in those who are still unsheltered.