The public has until January 10 to comment on the City’s plans to sell a Woodstock property for social housing.
The City advertised its plans, on Thursday, to sell the 7000m² Earl Street property, after mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis made the announcement in a city council meeting last Wednesday.
The R38 million property could yield around 160 social-housing units in two-to-four-storey buildings.
Mr Hill-Lewis said more than 1 300 social housing units across five central Cape Town properties had now been approved in just over six months under the Mayoral Priority Programme for Affordable Housing Land Release, with 800 units being built.
Overall, the City has identified more than 50 land parcels for social housing, according to mayoral committee member for human settlements Malusi Booi.
“It is foreseen that the sale of the property will stimulate economic growth while meeting the City’s absolute commitment of leveraging assets to create affordable housing opportunities and respond to some of the negative impacts that gentrification often brings, including pricing lower income households out of the property market. We encourage members of the public to have their say on this proposal,” he said.
In June, the city council approved two proposed social-housing projects, which could deliver more than 700 dwellings for low-income families in the city centre.
The one is at the Pickwick site in Salt River, where the plan is to build a 1 800-unit development with 600 of the units being for social housing. The other site is in Newmarket Street, in central Cape Town, where 365 mixed-market units and 165 social-housing units are planned. (“Social housing projects gain momentum,” Tatler, Thursday June 2).
Other social housing projects include the Dillon Lane project, which is set to deliver 150 social housing units, Salt River Market with 215 social housing units and 150 social housing units at the Fruit and Veg site in the CBD.
Woodstock Residents’ Association chairwoman Zelda Johnson said they had consistently supported the introduction of social housing in Woodstock but had some concerns about parallel processes running, flawed public participation, lack of community involvement, infrastructure and densification.
Ms Johson said that in a recent impact assessment, the old Woodstock Hospital was identified as a priority for social housing, whereas there were concerns around the Earl Street site being built-up.
“It seems as if the City announced their plan before receiving or considering input from local residents. First they announced they would sell the land, then they asked for comment. Can the community say ‘no’ or ask for meaningful changes? Or will the City go ahead with social housing at Earl Street no matter what the response is?”
Ms Johnston said they had asked for broader community involvement to provide input on relevant projects which had been “noted” but they were now left to provide comments by email or on the City’s website over the festive season.
“Most community organisations staffed by volunteers, as well as residents and businesses are on vacation – an issue raised with the City last year, at this time. Broader community involvement is necessary as the social housing ‘targets’ currently seem to be a spreadsheet exercise, aimed at approving a maximum ‘number of units’. This has led to inappropriate designs (like the Pickwick site in Salt River) and has not taken into account local knowledge of the area and that social housing is meant to provide homes for families that are well integrated into the community,” she said.
Ms Johnson said social housing in Woodstock had to be matched by upgrades to the area – both social infrastructure and green, open space.
“There are concerns that while the majority of the City’s announced social housing projects are in Woodstock, there are no indications if the area’s social infrastructure – schools, crèches, youth centres, health-care facilities – will be provided or upgraded at the same time. Similarly, the community is concerned about the loss of green, open space, which is already scarce in the suburb, particularly in the residential areas between Victoria and Albert roads.”
And while housing activists have welcomed the decision, they feel it is long overdue and social housing projects need to be accelerated.
Yusrah Bardien, from activist organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi, said it was great to see progress on social housing in Woodstock and Salt River.
“The City should be commended for the increased priority that seems to now be given to land release. However, many of the sites released this year have been proposed by the City for close to two decades, so the recent progress is very welcome but also long overdue.”
Development Action Group project coordinator Ryan Fester said the release of the Earl Street site for social housing was a win for the goal of spatial transformation and providing affordable living in a well-located part of the city.
“Earl Street is conveniently located near jobs opportunities, public transport, and educational institutions. However, many of the existing sites released for social housing are suffering numerous delays. Our hope is that the roadblocks standing in the way of seeing the first social housing project in the inner city can be addressed by all the role players involved,” he said.
