The City of Cape Town has given the green light to the release of five additional properties for affordable housing developments, set to bring 1,300 new units across Lansdowne, Ottery, Brackenfell, Wesfleur, and Belhar following approval from City Council on Wednesday (30 October).
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said in under two years, various municipal-owned properties, with a yield of over 4 200 units, have already been released as part of the Mayoral Priority Programme.
“We’re excited to be releasing more land for affordable housing in Cape Town. This is set to be a game changer for families who need affordable, well-located rental accommodation in our city,” he added.
While housing activist groups Ndifuna Ukwazi and Reclaim the City welcomed the decision, they stressed the need for timely construction on these sites to combat Cape Town’s long-standing spatial inequality.
Ndifuna Ukwazi applauded the move stating, “We welcome this news, and we hope that more land will be released and developed for well-located affordable housing.”
Karen Hendricks from Reclaim the City echoed these sentiments but noted that several sites allocated since 2021 remain undeveloped.
“What we have been seeing since 2021 is that some of the sites in the inner city have been released for affordable housing and social housing. We are now heading to 2025, and still, those are empty plots and empty promises,” said Hendricks, urging the city to prioritize construction on inner-city sites set aside for housing.
Further information on the public participation period will be provided in the coming weeks, offering residents the opportunity to contribute to the planning and development process for these new housing units.
VOC News
Photo: Supplied
