CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town's Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille announced the launch of the City’s new inner-city social housing initiative today, 13 September 2017.
The launch of the City's new inner-city social housing initiative follows the City of Cape Towns's vision and commitment to redress the imbalances of the past.
"Today, I am pleased to share the City of Cape Town’s vision and commitment to move ahead with our work of redressing the imbalances of the past", said Mayor Patricia de Lille.
These imbalances are evident by the spatial sprawl provoked during the Apartheid era which gave rise to a fragmented and unsustainable city, especially for the poor.
The inner-city housing initiative will provide affordable homes to families.
Mayor Patricia de Lille acknowledged the expense associated with the inner city by saying that approximately 40% of poor residents income are spent on travelling cost.
This is due to the inaccessibility of inner city land to the poor.
"One of the key commitments in our second term of office is to drive greater integration and to bring parity of services through the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan (ODTP) and the new five-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP)", added de Lille.
The ODTP serves as the City's plan to create a more sustainable, responsive and effective organisation to take local government to the next level.
The ODTP falls in the backdrop of the IDP, the City's five year plan which is a framework for overall development.
"When we adopted the ODTP in August 2016, we established the Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) in an explicit move to bring the functions of urban planning, formal housing and transport together".
"Key to achieving our goals of spatial transformation is for TDA to implement the City’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) strategy which aims to create a compact and connected city".
The Mayor further added that this will be achieved by bringing people closer to economic opportunities, alongside the provision of affordable housing and close transport corridors.
This implementation builds on the City's commitment to transforming Cape Town into an " inclusive and caring society".
City-owned sites in Salt River, Woodstock and the inner-city have been identified for the affordable housing development, said de Lille.
"The City is looking to partner with the private sector, developers, social housing institutions, innovators and designers to think outside of the box and for us to together establish living environments that embrace new inclusive and creative solutions that mix housing types and tenure options as well as explore new technologies and designs", added de Lille.
Briefing the media on our new inner city social housing initiative. pic.twitter.com/FaNFcS0XkQ
— Patricia de Lille (@PatriciaDeLille) September 13, 2017
"The City is determined to stop urban sprawl, reverse apartheid spatial planning, and build integrated communities that celebrates our diversity and cultures. This initiative will bring such development right into the urban core", said de Lille.
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