Residents of the social housing units in Thembelihle Village are accused of not paying rent.
The National Association of Social Housing Organisations (NASHO) and SOHCO Property Investments have warned that the proposed Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land (PIE) Amendment Bill, 2026, fails to tackle what they describe as two of the biggest threats facing South Africa’s social housing sector: unlawful occupations and organised rent boycotts.
While the Department of Human Settlements maintains that the Bill seeks to strike a fair balance between the rights of landowners and occupiers, the two housing organisations argue that the legislation overlooks the practical realities confronting social housing providers and risks leaving billions of rands in publicly funded housing vulnerable.
NASHO, which represents institutions responsible for more than 71% of South Africa’s regulated social housing stock, told the department that unlawful occupations and widespread non-payment of rent have already driven several housing providers into severe financial distress.
In its submission on the Bill, NASHO said at least three major social housing institutions had either collapsed or been pushed to the brink of insolvency because existing legislation has proved ineffective in protecting publicly funded housing assets.
