The experiences, challenges and coping strategies of women living in community residential units : Glebelands CRU case study

Abstract

Background: Community residential units (CRUs) were introduced in 2006 in South Africa to increase women’s access to adequate low-cost housing rentals. The aim of this investigation was to explore the experiences, challenges and coping strategies of women living in Glebelands CRU, in Umlazi after their introduction. Methods: This qualitative exploratory, descriptive, and contextual study integrated a phenomenological approach which was framed by bioecological systems and feminist perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a non-probability sample of ten female residents to gather the data. Colaizzi’s seven steps were used to analyse the data. The concepts of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability upheld the trustworthiness of the study, and the ethical principles of research were integrated throughout. Results: The findings indicate that the converted CRUs have not been sensitive to women’s housing needs and have failed to elevate their socio-economic status. Issues of overcrowding and lack of privacy; lack of security and management of ongoing violence; challenges of raising children in a male-dominant child unfriendly environment where violence is an ongoing problem; and the severe neglect of governance, maintenance and sanitation of the CRU undermined the wellbeing of the women living there. The benefits the participants identified about living in Glebelands CRU included: mothers and children could live together, the accommodation was affordable and offered residents free services, women had better access to resources, and supportive relationships within the CRU helped them to survive. The participants endorsed the designs of the CRU family units because they were conducive for family life. However, the old hostel blocks had not been converted into family units and the quality of life for single women who lived in those blocks remained poor. The participants recommendations for improving the living conditions of women residents in Glebelands CRU include: family unit accommodation for women-headed households must be fast-tracked; the Glebelands governance issues require urgent attention; measures must be taken to quell the violence; interventions are needed to increase women residents’ employability; and lastly, the representation of women in Glebelands CRU matters is essential.