Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has unveiled a plan to house some 4000 lower-income families in areas no more than 5kms from the CBD.
In a statement, the city's mayoral committee member for the transport and urban development authority Brett Herron said:
"Five City-owned sites will be made available to the private sector for the development of inclusionary and affordable housing opportunities:
· Erf 12814 in Pickwick Road in Salt River – the site is approximately 3.3ha and is a few hundred metres from Victoria Road where residents have easy access to minibus-taxis and buses
· Woodstock Hospital site in Victoria Walk in Woodstock – the site is 18 411 m² and within walking distance of MyCiTi bus stops and Victoria Road where residents have easy access to minibus-taxis and other bus services
· Woodstock Hospital Park opposite the hospital – the redevelopment must include a public open space and incorporate the crèche that currently operates from this site
· Erf 14888 in New Market Street in Woodstock – the site is 8 483 m² and is situated next to the MyCiTi bus Route 261 that operates along New Market Street
· Erf 5667 in Canterbury Street in the inner-city – the site is 2 730 m² and is within walking distance of higher-education facilities, shops, numerous MyCiTi bus routes and other public transport. The site is currently leased to Fruit and Veg City
"In addition, three sites have already been allocated to social housing institutions for the development of social housing opportunities. The statutory land-use applications are under way and we expect construction to commence in due course:
· Two erven along Pine Road and six erven along Dillon Lane. The Pine Road development will commence first, with the Dillon Lane development as the second phase
· The Salt River Market in Albert Road will be a mixed-use development with a combination of affordable housing opportunities – from social housing (subsidised rental units for households with a monthly income of less than R15 000) to GAP rental housing (for households with a monthly income of between R3 500 and R20 000) to retail and office space
"Two sites have been identified for Cape Town’s first inner-city transitional housing projects:
· The development of a portion of the Pickwick site, located on the corner of Pickwick and Copperfield Roads in Salt River, for transitional or semi-permanent housing is already under way. The development will initially house residents who are currently living on the Pine Road site
· Erven 12010 and 12011 in James Street in Salt River will initially be developed as transitional housing for those residents who are currently living at the Salt River Market
"Two City-owned sites in the Woodstock area – one in Upper Coventry Road and the other also in Pine Road; as well as a City-owned site consisting of eight erven along Upper Canterbury Street in Gardens, will be available for development at a later stage.
"More information about the sites, the strategic overview, design and housing typologies, closing date for development proposals from the private sector for the five City-owned sites, and the bid evaluation process, among others, is included in the prospectus. We will issue the prospectus within the next three weeks, if all goes as planned," Herron said.
The city-owned sites that will be developed into social, affordable inner-city housing. Picture: Supplied/City of Cape Town
The prospectus will be a public document, meaning all interested and affected parties – from prospective developers, to residents and possible beneficiaries – will be able to access and read the document online.
"I want to reiterate that the responsibility of creating a more integrated Cape Town is not ours alone," Herron said. "Only a collective effort will undo the legacy of apartheid.
"Building inclusive communities where we all have access to opportunities so that we can realise our full potential as individuals and as a city will require determination, perseverance, and cooperation.
"Going forward, the City will follow a partnership approach where we will collaborate with all relevant stakeholders and, most importantly, with the people who currently live and work in Woodstock and Salt River.
"This is a long-term commitment. We need our residents, the private sector, and non-governmental organisations in the housing realm to support us.
"I have already met with some residents and ratepayers’ associations over the past weeks and yesterday we hosted our first informal housing dialogue with developers from the private sector and representatives from civic organisations.
"We will host public information sessions about the City’s vision for this precinct soon after the prospectus has been issued. Residents will also have the opportunity to view the private sector’s development proposals for each of the five sites and to submit their preferences to the City.
"I will provide more specific information about the venues and dates of the public information sessions, dialogues, workshops and other relevant forums in due course.
"We are excited about the future of these neighbourhoods. We are looking forward to forging collaborative partnerships as we charter a new course," he said.