The Department came into being in 1994 after the dawn of democracy. Its roots can be traced back to 1956 when the Freedom Charter was adopted in Kliptown. The clause that says: There shall be houses, security and comfort is the founding base for the department. Also the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) state that access to housing is a basic human right, the government has to ensure that an environment conducive to progressive realisation of the right.