By Loushe Jordaan Gilbert
Following a housing radio feature that aired at the end of February on the VOC Breakfast show, the City of Cape Town responded to some of the allegations made by residents who shared their concerns regarding the status of the housing sector within the Metro.
Speaking to VOC News residents across the city said the housing opportunities provided by the city are almost non-existent.
“I have been on the housing waiting list for many years and until now I don’t even know where they are in terms of allocating homes to the less fortunate,” a resident said.
“I have applied with the RDP houses and council homes, but nothing comes of it, they always have an excuse, but they never address the backlog they keep speaking about.”
“I have been on the waiting list for more than 30 years, I have been everywhere, constantly upgrading my paperwork, but I am still without a home.”
Community activist Joanie Fredericks said change will only happen when the city and local government takes accountability.
“The illegal erection of shacks and structures in South Africa is in a crisis, it stems from our leaders not doing what they promised. Every citizen has the right to a safe and proper home, yet here we are still seeing people living in dire conditions, it is just horrible. We cannot blame people for going about getting a home the illegal way, people are just trying to survive,” she stressed.
Responding to some of the concerns raised, VOC News spoke to Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Carl Popheim to gauge whether he envisions a South Africa where every citizen is housed.
“Nationally in urban and housing policy, it is recognised that informality to a lesser and greater extent, is a fixture of the South African landscape. This is due to the low economic growth, high unemployment rate, weak national economic condition, and the ability of a small tax base to subsidise services, social services, and housing, among others. It is recognised that formal subsidy housing alone will not solve the housing crisis in South Africa. But a mixture of formal, gap, social rental housing, upgrade of informal settlements and enhancing access to improved and enhanced basic services as well as increasing tenure security are key interventions. This is the model the city is also following, looking at all interventions to enhance dignity through human settlements and improved basic services,” he said.
Popheim further explained that there are currently more than 340 000 applicants with a waiting status registered with the City’s Housing Needs Register.
“The register is not static – as opportunities are awarded to beneficiaries, they are removed from the database, and new beneficiaries are added. Due to demand, and to be fair, those registered for the longest are assisted first.
According to the city, the demand for affordable housing in Cape Town, as in other cities in South Africa, is acute.
Between 1996 and 2016, Cape Town’s population increased by 56% to more than 4,3 million residents, and over the same period, there was a 94% increase in the number of households, to around 1,36 million.
To accommodate projected growth as well as to manage the existing housing demand, it is estimated that roughly 500 000 housing opportunities need to be created between now and 2028.
