HOUSING-AS-A-SERVICE: TRANSITIONING FROM PRODUCT DELIVERY TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMIC HOUSING SOLUTIONS

This study investigates Housing-as-a-Service (HaaS) as an innovative and sustainable business model within the South African construction and housing sector. The background highlights the need to reconceptualize housing beyond its conventional treatment as a physical product or commodity, recognizing it instead as a dynamic, usercentered system of integrated services aligned with social equity, environmental responsibility, and long-term affordability. The purpose of the research is to explore the applicability of HaaS in addressing persistent housing challenges in South Africa, including informality, affordability constraints, and urban inequality. A scoping review methodology was employed to systematically examine academic literature, policy frameworks, and industry reports on service-oriented housing models, particularly in socio-economic and infrastructural contexts comparable to South Africa. The key findings indicate that HaaS features such as modular construction, subscription-based access, digital property management, and lifecycle-based design can mitigate the prevalence of informal housing, enhance affordability through flexible access models, and reduce inequality in urban settlements by expanding inclusive housing opportunities. The review also identifies enabling conditions including policy reform, technological integration, and cross-sector collaboration. The contribution and value of this study lie in offering strategic recommendations for developers, municipalities, and policymakers to reconceptualize housing delivery as a participatory, service-driven ecosystem that fosters more inclusive, adaptable, and sustainable urban living while stimulating new business models in the construction industry.