ABSTRACT
This chapter traces attempts in the city of Tshwane, South Africa’s administrative capital, to prevent and end homelessness. It considers these attempts against the broader struggle for socio-spatial transformation of South Africa’s apartheid cities, as well as the diverse faces of homelessness. The importance of approaches that fuse research, policy, and practices is explored, with reference to work done both in the city and also nationally. The chapter reflects critically on collaborative interventions in the city of Tshwane, with a view of recommending improvements, sharing learning, and considering possible replication elsewhere in the country. Local institutional mechanisms and participatory processes are introduced in the form of a case study. The absence of a national legal and policy framework on homelessness is lamented, but consideration is also given to the best possible ways in which such a framework could be achieved, in order for it to mediate optimal impact. The chapter concludes with lessons and recommendation for homelessness reform in South Africa and beyond, drawing from the local narrative/s of the city of Tshwane.
