To better understand this market and the potential opportunities for both city governments and the private sector, the South African Cities Network (SACN) partnered with the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF) to develop affordable housing profiles for each of its nine member cities. The intention of these profiles is to assist both the public and private sectors to better understand the workings of the affordable housing market. Each city profile also begins to identify some areas of investment and hopes to contribute towards changing the mindset that (to date) does not see this sector as profitable for investment and development.

The report further considers how to bridge the gap between affordable housing demand and supply, by financing the housing market in a sustainable manner and increasing the provision of affordable housing options. The profiles reflect briefly on issues related to location, land, infrastructure and the need for regulatory efficiency, but focus extensively on new ways of understanding the urban housing market through housing performance, affordability and the leveraging of equity to close the housing gap. Thus, these profiles are not presented as an exhaustive exploration of the affordable market but rather as a first step towards planning for a different kind of response and moving closer to achieving a more sustainable, holistic, integrated and improved property market.