Every November, as Johannesburg renters start thinking about where they will live next year, the Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) is looking back at the buildings it has brought to life. Some of its homes sit inside a former five-star hotel, and others stand on the clay fields that once supplied the city with bricks. The social housing company has worked in the inner city since 1995. This month it is sharing the stories behind some of its best-known addresses.
JHC was set up to respond to the city’s housing challenges. Since then it has developed more than 4,513 rental units, manages 36 buildings and has housed more than 12,650 people. Many of these homes were rescued, converted or built in parts of the city where few others were investing at the time. Several have histories that are worth knowing before you sign a lease.
From five-star hotel to family home at Landrost Mansions
The rich and famous once stayed at Landrost Mansions in Joubert Park when it was a five-star hotel. In 2000 it became the first hotel JHC converted into housing. Much of the original hotel finish is still in daily use, and residents pass it in the lift lobby, the lifts and the stairway. The 18-storey tower now has 241 units, made up of bachelor, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats. Residents have WiFi, a playroom and a playground. Joubert Park is in the centre of Johannesburg, close to galleries, a museum, shopping centres and public transport.
Lake Success leads the Better Buildings Programme
Lake Success in Hillbrow was the first building in the City of Johannesburg’s Better Buildings Programme to be successfully upgraded. JHC did a major clean-up and overhauled the whole building to make it a good place to live again, and the first new tenants arrived in 2002. The 12-storey block has 145 units, ranging from single rooms with shared facilities to bachelor and three-bedroom flats, and secure courtyard parking. The building is also part of the Pietersen Street eKhaya Neighbourhood Programme. Through it, JHC and neighbouring property owners work with city agencies to keep the area clean and safe.
Brickfields and the clay that built a city
At the start of the 20th century, Newtown was known as the Brickfields. Its clay made brick-making the main way to earn a living there. JHC’s Brickfields development opened in 2005 and was the first central housing development downtown in more than 30 years. Its 345 units are spread across a four-storey walk-up and nine-storey tower blocks. They range from bachelor to three-bedroom flats and include live and work units. On site there is secure parking, security, a creche, a playground and a soccer court. Newtown Junction and the Market Theatre are a short walk away.
The early milestones
JHC’s early years produced a run of firsts for the inner city. In 1996 it bought San Martin in Joubert Park, its first building for social housing. In 1997 it finished its first office-to-residential conversion at Tower Hill in Hillbrow. It also opened Jeppe Oval in Jeppestown, the first new-build residential development in the inner city in 30 years. Carr Gardens in Newtown filled up completely within 17 days of opening. All of these buildings still offer homes today.
JHC’s work has also been recognised outside South Africa. In 2006 the company received the international BSHF UN Habitat Award for practical, innovative and sustainable housing solutions. In the same year it won the first Govan Mbeki Award for Social Housing Institution of the Year.
Courtyard living and Art Deco style
Not every JHC building is a tower. Tribunal Gardens in Fordsburg opened in 2002 and has 174 units in three- and four-storey walk-ups set around open courtyards. Elangeni Gardens in Marshalltown opened the same year, with 168 units in a walk-up townhouse complex built around a courtyard. When it was financed in 2000, it became the first inner-city social housing project to get a commercial loan. Stanhope Mansions pairs Art Deco character with modern living. Ukhamba Mansions is 19 storeys tall, with 222 apartments aimed mainly at young professionals.
Homes for every kind of household
JHC’s tenants include families, single parents, young working couples, professionals, blue-collar workers, students and older residents. Its units match that variety, from single rooms with shared facilities and bachelor flats to one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. For people looking for flats to rent near work, transport and amenities, many of the inner-city options are close to the CBD. Other buildings are in areas such as Newtown, Fordsburg, Marshalltown and Cosmo City.
JHC’s buildings are run by qualified managers who put tenants first. Residents can rely on a structured maintenance process, and the company runs community events, activations and programmes for the people who live there.
Get ahead of the new-year move
The end of the year is a sensible time to start the search. Looking early gives renters time to visit buildings and compare units before they decide. JHC’s website shows the units available in each building, with rental amounts and unit sizes. An affordability calculator helps applicants work out how much rent their income allows. Applying is straightforward, and current tenants can earn a reward for referring someone to JHC.
For renters weighing up apartments to rent in Johannesburg, JHC offers affordable rent backed by professional management. Renters who like a building with a past can choose from places such as Landrost Mansions, Lake Success and Brickfields, which offer apartments to rent with decades of history behind them.
To see available units, building details and the affordability calculator, visit https://www.jhc.co.za/.
About JHC
The Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) was founded in 1995 as a social housing company. It provides affordable rental housing in inner-city Johannesburg and nearby areas. It has developed more than 4,513 units and manages 36 buildings. Its portfolio includes converted heritage buildings and new-build developments. Units range from single rooms and bachelor flats to one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for middle- and low-income households.
Media Contact
JHC (Johannesburg Housing Company)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 10 442 6321
Website: https://www.jhc.co.za/
