Hustlenomics is a for-profit, impact driven social enterprise that focuses on upskilling and creating opportunities for women and youths by training them to replace informal backyard shacks with durable structures using innovative building technology. Interlocking bricks made from natural soil and recycled construction waste material are manufactured and used to build safe dwellings that fit in with nature while reducing the carbon footprint of the building. Hustlenomics combines the provision of housing with positive socioeconomic and environmental outcomes while cutting building costs by 30%. Low income households owning informal backyard shacks cannot access traditional home improvement financing. Hustlenomics is an affordable housing provider that offers thesehouseholds an opportunity to build durable structures in replacement of backyard shacks at no cost to the homeowners. The structures are financed through an innovative shared home financing model where rental income generated from the completed structure is used to pay off the development cost, after which full ownership of the structure is handed over to the homeowner.
A lack of access to finance cripples low income households who wish to improve their homes to accommodate family growth or to provide rental income opportunities. This results in informal backyard structures dominating properties around township communities. The rental of backyard rooms is a common practice as people prefer to find accommodation within the townships. Backyard dwellings provide an affordable and accessible alternative form of accommodation, especially to the poorer sectors of the community. They also serve as an alternative form of housing where other forms of housing are not available due to the expanding housing demand and limited accessto affordable accommodation in a context where state-subsidised housing delivery is too slow to meet the accommodation needs of the urban poor.
The growing popularity and rapid market acceptance of this new innovative building technology is exciting. Not only does it have a direct and positive impact on recycling rates by diverting large volumes of construction waste (rubble) from our country’s landfills, it also reduces building costs and increases productivity. The substituting of backyard shacks with formal structures that include safe, properly installed plumbing and certified wiring, will allow for improved accommodation that is dignified and secure, and still affordable for backyard dwellers. The project will also enable lowincome households to earn a passive and sustainable income while increasing their property value.
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