Sustainable livelihoods in a new housing development : the case of Kuyga, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

Abstract

The study was undertaken to satisfy the following objectives of the research study: To determine the livelihoods of residents of a low income housing development; To assess the role played by the local economic development initiatives in the Kuyga community; and To make recommendations regarding policies and actions that could reduce the unemployment rate and create sustainable and viable livelihoods for the Kuyga community in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. To note, what triggered the researcher to undertake the study, are the high levels of unemployment, poverty and poor monitoring of the local economic initiatives within the area. In this study, the researcher explores the livelihoods of the Kuyga community and the opportunities for creating more sustainable and viable livelihoods. Attention is drawn to Government policies, Local economic Development as well as Integrated Development Plans of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, simultaneously realising that the South African government cannot work in isolation to deliver all the community needs effectively as expected