Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has unveiled plans for inner-city social housing which is set to benefit 4000 households.
City owned sites will be made available to the private sector for the development of affordable and social housing in Woodstock, Salt River and the inner city, the municipality said.
"Building inclusive communities through reversing the spatial legacy of apartheid is a key priority of this government," mayoral committee member for the transport and development authority Brett Herron said. "South African cities should break with the past where our urban form is defined by poorer families living on the fringes."
The sites are less than 5 km away from the Cape Town CBD.
"They are located within the Voortrekker Road Corridor Integration Zone (VRCIZ) – one of three integration zones where the City will, during our term of office, spend the bulk of our capital budget on infrastructure aimed to transform Cape Town’s spatial reality," Herron said.
"The significance of the location of these sites resonates when one bears in mind that the VRCIZ will link the Bellville, Maitland, Parow, Goodwood and Salt River CBDs with the Cape Town CBD via Voortrekker Road. By prioritising dense, transit-oriented growth and development in this integration zone, the City seeks to create more inclusive communities with access to improved services, job opportunities, and affordable housing and public transport."
The City hopes to create "a new urban fabric based on access and inclusivity" with the devepment of the sites.
"The development of 11 City-owned sites in Salt River, Woodstock and the inner-city for inclusionary and affordable housing opportunities must also assist us to preserve the social diversity and unique character of areas like Woodstock and Salt River in the midst of rapid urbanisation and rising property prices. Furthermore, it must expedite the provision of affordable housing on well-located land close to work opportunities and public transport," Herron said.
At least 4000 lower-income households are expected to benefit from the developments which will be built close to schools, services, transport hubs and economic opportunities, the City said.