South Africa’s Department of Human Settlements has sought to rectify apartheid-era
injustices through the mass construction of low-income housing. Housing allocation efforts have
led to the demolition of informal settlements and relocation of low-income residents to new
developments. The drive to eliminate informal settlements rests within a global call to achieve
“slum”-free cities. Many residents in South Africa come from informal settlements, where they
have developed networks of trust, participation, and livelihoods. A concern with relocation
efforts is that new housing developments disrupt pre-existing sense of community, which refers
to an individual’s feeling of belonging to a group with a shared connection and attachment to
place.