Europa House

Run by the Madulamoho Housing Association (MHA), the project is part of Johannesburg’s ‘Better Building’s Programme’. In partnership with the National Dept of Housing, the Gauteng Dept of Housing, The City of Johannesburg and Metro Evangelical Services (MES), the Europa House offers four types of accommodation options.

• The first is a 100-bed Emergency Shelter that provides 72-hour free emergency accommodation.
• Secondly, there are 11 Transitional Housing Units available for an 18-month period.
• The third type includes; 43 Communal Units that can house a total of four people (two adults and two children).
• Lastly, there are 14 upper communal/ bachelor units that include space for ablution facilities and a bedroom.

Each floor is provided with a communal kitchen and ablution facilities. The building is safe and is secured using a biometric fingerprint security system. Parking, laundry and recreational amenities and a crèche are further provided. Europa House supplies affordable housing to people that do not qualify for market-related options. Its target beneficiaries are South African residents, earning less than R3 500 a month. The project offers more than housing or shelter, it also services its tenants with social services with the help of MES. The MES support consists of counseling, training, and job placement opportunities. There is a successful skills development-job placement youth programme that runs at the building. A representative from each floor and a house manager are further appointed to manage the day-to-day running of the house and deal with tenants complaints.

Innovation

            Europa House addresses the gap between shelter accommodation and market- related rentals. It is the only housing project in South Africa that has integrated four types of housing strategies with training and development opportunities for lower income groups.

Effectiveness

Currently there are 160 beneficiaries benefiting from the Europa House project. It sports a 0% bad debt and vacancy rate, with a 98% monthly rent collection rate. The transitional housing’s rental cost is R200 per bed per month. The communal housing is offered at a monthly rental cost of R670 per unit, with the bachelor unit renting at R950. 30 youth have been accommodated in the skills development programmes.

Poverty Impact

This housing project allows for low-income groups to stay in a safe and secure environment. It offers facilities for these families to be a part of skills development opportunities within their housing complex and as a result can be eligible for employment or to start their own businesses.         

Sustainability

R3.2 million is sourced from the Provincial Dept of Housing and another R3.2 million from the City of Johannesburg. Project costs include; land lease at R500 a year from City of Johannesburg, professional fees of R700 000 and construction expenses at R5.7 million. The project can be self-sustainable because the rental income ends up covering the on-going operation expenses.

Replication

            Replication of affordable and safe housing, where there are many buildings like
the Europa Hotel that need revamping, is necessary, in the inner city of Johannesburg and other city centres. Optimal efficiency and sustainability is reached with projects between 70 and 150 units, MHA has already replicated this model in two other projects in the province.

Partnerships

• Provincial Dept of Housing (renovations funder)
• City of Johannesburg
• National Support Programme of Social Housing (capacity funding and technical assistance)
• MES (Social Services Contract)
• MHA (Managing and Developing Facility)