PURPOSE: of this research is to compare “mixed housing development” models in South Africa with international models through literature review as an overall background to understanding urban housing developments.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This research is designed as a comparative study employed to analyze important aspects while fruitless aspects are dropped out. Aspects of comparison include; the definition, regulations and institutions, benefits and challenges, sources of funds and government subsidies, management and sustainability of mixed residential developments. Desktop analysis of literature is the instrument used to study the model.

FINDINGS: Results of this study show that what mixed housing endvours to achieve are the same globally. Inclusionary policies that create this model create heterogeneous housing markets where low income people live together with high income people in the same neighborhoods. The main difference is that in South Africa, mixed residential developments remain occupied by disadvantaged race class where as in other countries advantaged classes (who are usually of ethnic backgrounds) indeed live together with disadvantaged classes. In most countries, inclusionary housing policy that creates these integrated developments have been legislated but not yet legislated in South Africa implying a more market-rate approach.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: As a contribution, this paper places mixed housing developments into an international setting as a way of evaluating the South African model against international standards in assessing the effectiveness of housing policies. This reading is good background reading for researchers, policy makers, developers and housing consumers. In most countries, inclusionary housing policy that creates these integrated have been legislated but not yet legislated in South Africa implying a more market-rate approach. “Research has suggested that the post-apartheid communities developing in Lehae and Chief Mogale are not spaces in which race has reduced in its importance”(Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, 2013) as a social identity. As a contribution, this paper places mixed housing developments into an international setting as a way of evaluating the South African model against international standards in assessing the effectiveness of housing policies.