A sustainability specification for emergency housing

Abstract

There is a need to provide emergency accommodation for households in the event of a disaster such as flooding. In South Africa, this is catered for in the National Housing Code developed by the Department of Human Settlements in 2009. Since 2009 there has been an increasing requirement for human settlements and housing to address issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and more recently, COVID-19. This study aims to understand these requirements and how they can be met in emergency housing. It uses the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool (SBAT) to review current provision for emergency housing in the Housing Code. This provides the basis for proposing sustainability specifications which incorporate appropriate technologies for emergency housing. These are critically evaluated and discussed to develop conclusions and recommendations. The study identifies measures that could be incorporated into emergency housing to make a contribution to improving the quality of life of occupants as well as enhancing the sustainability performance of the housing.