JHC Invites Renters Into Johannesburg Buildings With a Story to Tell

Some tenants of the Johannesburg Housing Company ride to their front doors in lifts that once carried guests of a five-star hotel. Others live on ground that gave Johannesburg its bricks more than a century ago. JHC, the social housing company that has worked in the inner city since 1995, is using November, when many people plan a move for the new year, to highlight the history behind some of its best-known buildings.

JHC was launched to tackle housing challenges in the city and has since developed more than 4,513 rental housing units. It manages 36 buildings and has provided homes for more than 12,650 people. Many of those homes are in buildings that the company rescued, converted or built in places where few others were investing at the time, and several of them carry stories worth knowing before you sign a lease.

Landrost Mansions: a hotel turned home

Landrost Mansions in Joubert Park was once a five-star hotel that hosted the rich and famous. In 2000, JHC completed its first conversion of a hotel to residential use here. Many of the hotel's original fittings and finishes are still in use, and residents can see them in the lift lobby, the lifts and the stairway. Today the 18-storey tower holds 241 units, including bachelor, one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats, with WiFi, a playroom and a playground. Joubert Park sits at the heart of central Johannesburg, close to galleries, a museum, shopping centres and public transport.

Lake Success: the first Better Buildings upgrade

In Hillbrow, Lake Success was the first building in the City of Johannesburg's Better Buildings Programme to be upgraded successfully. JHC carried out a major clean-up and complete overhaul to restore it to good living conditions, and the first new tenants moved in during 2002. The 12-storey building has 145 units, from single rooms with shared facilities to bachelor and three-bedroom flats, along with secure courtyard parking. It also forms part of the Pietersen Street eKhaya Neighbourhood Programme, in which JHC and neighbouring property owners work with city agencies to keep the area clean and safe.

Brickfields: homes on the city's first industry

Newtown was once known as the Brickfields, named after the clay that made brick manufacturing the main way to earn a living in the area at the start of the 20th century. JHC's Brickfields development, built in 2005, was the first central housing development downtown in more than 30 years. It offers 345 units across a four-storey walk-up and nine-storey tower blocks, with bachelor to three-bedroom flats and live and work facilities. Residents have secure parking, on-site security, a creche, a playground and a soccer court, and are a short walk from Newtown Junction and the Market Theatre.

Where it all began

JHC's milestones trace a series of firsts in the inner city. In 1996 the company bought its first building for social housing, San Martin in Joubert Park. In 1997 it completed its first conversion from offices to residential at Tower Hill in Hillbrow, and opened Jeppe Oval in Jeppestown, the first new-build residential development in the inner city in 30 years. Carr Gardens in Newtown was fully occupied within 17 days of opening. Each of these buildings still offers homes today.

The company's history also includes recognition beyond South Africa. In 2006 JHC won the international BSHF UN Habitat Award for practical, innovative and sustainable housing solutions, as well as the inaugural Govan Mbeki Award as Social Housing Institution of the Year.

Courtyards and Art Deco charm

The portfolio has variety beyond its towers. Tribunal Gardens in Fordsburg, which opened in 2002, offers 174 units in three and four-storey walk-up buildings designed around open courtyards. Elangeni Gardens in Marshalltown, also opened in 2002, has 168 units in a walk-up townhouse complex built around a courtyard, and its financing in 2000 marked the first commercial loan for an inner-city social housing project. Stanhope Mansions combines Art Deco character with modern living, while Ukhamba Mansions rises 19 storeys with 222 apartments aimed mainly at young professionals.

A home for many kinds of households

JHC's tenants include families, single parents, young working couples, professionals, blue-collar workers, students and the elderly. The range of unit types reflects that mix, from single rooms with shared facilities and bachelor flats to one, two and three-bedroom apartments. For those searching for flats to rent close to work, transport and amenities, the inner-city portfolio puts many options within reach of the CBD, with further buildings in areas such as Newtown, Fordsburg, Marshalltown and Cosmo City.

The company's approach centres on qualified building management that puts tenants first. That includes a structured maintenance process and community work through events, activations and programmes for residents.

Planning a move for the new year

Late in the year is a practical time to start looking. Starting early gives renters time to view buildings and compare units before they commit. JHC's website lists available units in each building with rental amounts and unit sizes, and an affordability calculator helps applicants work out how much they can spend on rent based on their income. The application process is straightforward, and existing tenants who refer someone to JHC can earn a reward.

For anyone comparing apartments to rent in Johannesburg, a JHC building offers an affordable rent with professional management behind it. For renters drawn to character and history, buildings such as Landrost Mansions, Lake Success and Brickfields offer apartments to rent with a story that goes back decades.

Available units, building details and the affordability calculator can be found at https://www.jhc.co.za/.

About JHC

The Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) is a social housing company established in 1995. It provides affordable rental homes in inner-city Johannesburg and surrounding areas, with more than 4,513 units developed and 36 buildings under management. Its portfolio ranges from converted heritage buildings to new-build developments, offering single rooms, bachelor flats and one, two and three-bedroom apartments for households in the middle to low earning segments.

Media Contact
JHC (Johannesburg Housing Company)
Email: info@jhc.co.za
Phone: +27 10 442 6321
Website: https://www.jhc.co.za/