From Informal Settlements to Formality: A Resettlement Group's Adaptation to a Newly Planned Community in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

This article discusses the dilemmas that individuals faced after relocating from periurban informal settlements to a new housing development community. In 1999, the Coega Development Corporation collaborated with city officials in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to create a housing community called Wells Estate for people who were living in informal settlements, displaced by the construction of a new economic development project. Several years after their forced resettlement, Wells Estate residents still faced many challenges adjusting to their new location. Some residents stated that the sense of community, openness, and social trust that they had experienced in their previous residence was lost when they moved to their new homes. Also, some residents mentioned how reciprocity and the sharing of resources, which were common practices in their informal settlements, had been dramatically altered in the new community. By using the community of Wells Estate and its creation as a case study, this article explores how the forced displacement and relocation of individuals may affect social cohesion, trust, and community involvement among people relocated from informal settlements. This research aims to address whether a transition from informality to formal housing can have detrimental consequences on community sentiment and social cohesion.