Mobilisation of Berea Baptist Mission Church’s assets towards ‘Just housing’ in Johannesburg: An oikomissiological perspective

Housing is one of the greatest needs that African immigrants confront in Johannesburg’s inner city, South Africa. One of the reasons for the manifestation of shortage of housing correlates with the large-scale and uncontrollable migration, which has occurred over the past three decades or so. This mass migration, predominantly of black Africans, has drastically reconfigured the demographics of Johannesburg’s inner city. Unfortunately, most African migrants and refugees who happened to be foreigners find that they are excluded from the benefits of housing services. This reality brings into focus one of the socio-economic gaps and class realities of cities, that is, most of the urban migrants, specifically in the Johannesburg inner city are poor. Berea Baptist Mission Church (BBMC) ministers daily to this volatile vulnerable ’rightless‘ migrant community.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In this article, the author argues for ways that BBMC can mobilise its assets towards formulating and reimagining new conditions under which affordable, sustainable and aesthetically attractive housing in an urban environment such as Johannesburg’s inner city is feasible. Insights from the ‘oiko-missiological perspective’ are helpful in this process of formulation and reimagination of new conditions towards ‘just housing’ in Johannesburg’s inner city.