TIMELINE OF HOUSING IN ATTERIDGEVILLE

2.2 TIMELINE OF HOUSING IN ATTERIDGEVILLE

Atteridgeville has been defined as the study area and has been identified as one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the greater Pretoria metropolitan area. Hover, Atteridgeville has seen many changes and shifts in its housing schemes in general over the last few decades. Atteridgeville started as a settlement for non-Europeans in 1939. This was nine years before the implementation of Apartheid that lasted until 1994. The initial purpose of Atteridgeville was to be a place for the displaced. People re displaced from their housing in Marabastad and other areas of Pretoria to the NE51 housing scheme in Atteridgeville. The scheme proposed that the housing be linked to Pretoria CBD via train for easy access to work. Educational and medical facilities follod soon after that to accommodate the needs of the residents. Atteridgeville, being a segregated settlement, has evolved into one of the most culturally diverse melting pots of Gauteng and even South Africa. Atteridgeville has not been without struggle, as it has often been in the centre of unrest during Apartheid, especially during the 1980s when multiple bombings and protests took place close to governmental and educational buildings. In recent times Atteridgeville has become a place where many seek refuge and opportunity because of its proximity to Pretoria and the business and

educational opportunities. As more people sought to move to Atteridgeville after Apartheid, the region can see that the NE51 housing has evolved into something more densely populated. People have built extensions onto their existing NE51 homes or created what is called “back-room housing” on their plots of land to accommodate family and friends or to merely serve as an extra income. This, hover, has lored the living conditions for some of these residents and directly impacts their contribution towards the community and themselves. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANT DATES:

− Decrease in monthly income for households − Need for opportunities and integration into Pretoria − Food insecurity and scarcity in the area − The need and creation of social spaces and religious activities to further the communities − Atteridgeville is classified as a low-income, high crime area with minimal to no service delivery