Urban Think Tank Empower (UTTE) showcased its transformative Empower Upgrade Model at The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on 23 and 24 September 2024 in New York City. This annual convention is more than just a conference – it’s a catalyst for global change, bringing together leaders to take action on the world’s most pressing challenges. UTTE’s participation underscores its commitment to tackling South Africa’s housing crisis through innovative, sustainable solutions.
Although South Africa’s Constitution guarantees the right to “adequate housing,” the country faces a backlog of over 1.5 million homes. Consequently, millions live in informal settlements with limited access to essential services, often sharing a single tap among 20 to 50 households and one toilet among 10 to 20 households, with inadequate sewerage systems. UTTE’s Empower Upgrade Model offers a holistic solution to this housing crisis by treating housing as part of a broader ecosystem that includes infrastructure, energy access, food security, social amenities and economic opportunity into underserved urban areas. By transforming land within informal settlements, UTTE creates sustainable, community-led developments. “Our approach at UTTE isn’t just about building homes but creating ecosystems where people can live with dignity, access opportunities, and stay connected to their social networks,” says Delana Finlayson, Managing Director of UTTE.
The initiative involves the community in designing and managing these spaces, fostering ownership and economic inclusion. Phumezo Tsibanto, a community leader and recipient of an Empower home, notes: “It was a bottom-up approach. We designed this place as its residents. It shows that this could be a solution, an alternative to RDP [Reconstruction and Development Programme] housing.”
UTTE’s commitment to scaling its model locally is ambitious and transformative, with plans to build 1,000 homes and create 7,000 jobs across 14 nominated sites in Cape Town over the next five years. UTTE invites communities, governments, and stakeholders to join them in this mission to transform lives – one home, one community at a time.