Cape Town – “We will only celebrate when we see
ground being broken and doors go on
hinges.”
These were the words of civic organisation, Reclaim the City when reacting to mayor Dan Plato’s announcement that the Salt River Market site was approved for the development of affordable housing.
The Salt River Market affordable housing project has been plagued with allegations of council members identified as a “white cabal” trying to block it.
“We welcome every milestone in the development of affordable public housing in well-located areas. But we will celebrate when we see ground being broken and doors going on hinges. We need thousands of new homes like Salt River Market.
“We look forward to the mayor taking a stand on other parcels like the Green Point Bowling Green and Fruit and Veg City which were promised at the same time and have since been cancelled,” the organisation said.
Plato said the rezoning application for the Salt River Market site was approved.
This would allow for the land to be developed for mixed-use purposes made up of 723 residential units, of which 216 will be social housing opportunities for qualifying beneficiaries, as well as business premises and informal trading and 119 parking bays.
Plato said the decision was a landmark, “crucial towards identifying affordable and well-located land close to the city centre and other urban centres across the metro”. The developer now has a five-year period to act on the rights, the City said.
The decision for rezoning is final.
It permits the construction of buildings between 25 and 38m in height with the inclusion of a carriageway to allow for street parking on Bromwell Street and access from Foundry Road.
Former urban development mayco member Brett Herron welcomed the announcement but described it as a “very small step” in comparison to the need for affordable housing.
“I resigned from the DA and from council over the DA’s initial resistance to this development and their decision to withdraw the project from the council agenda in October last year,” said Herron.
“We are facing a housing deficit crisis across all income groups and last week’s cancellation of the affordable housing projects on five sites identified in Woodstock, Salt River and the city centre is a major setback to the urgent need to address this crisis.
“The five sites would have added an unprecedented 4000 social housing units into the inner city precinct.”