Cape Town - It could take another five years before the occupants of the first affordable housing project on prime property in the city could move into their new homes.
Hailed as the best mixed development project in South Africa, the City of Cape Town bowed to pressure from land activists and the public and approved the project on Thursday after initially putting it on hold, claiming it needed more information.
The Salt River Market Project, according to activists, was significant in redressing the apartheid spatial planning legacy in the city regarded as one of the most unequal cities in the world.
Until now, the city’s urban regeneration efforts had only resulted in sky-rocketing property prices, driving many out of the homes their families stayed in for decades and leading to evictions as others could no longer afford rent.
The social housing company, Communicare, which had invested about R2 million into the project over the last four years of its development, said a few things would now need to be sorted.
Firstly, the City and Communicare would have to sign a land availability agreement.
The land also has to be rezoned and consolidated, thereafter the designs can be considered and finalised taking into account the land valuation and relevant concerns raised in the rezoning process.
“A project of this nature and size takes years. We are in the early concept stages. Based on our assessment, if everything is approved, construction is planned for early 2021, and completion is estimated in 2023,” said Communicare chief executive Anthea Houston.
The city’s mayoral committee member for human settlements, Malusi Booi, said the Salt River Market site was valued at R114.3 million, and it would make the land available at 10% of the price - R11.4m.
However, it was not clear how many units would be built - earlier plans had put the figure at 851 rental units, but Booi put the new figure at just over 820.
It was also not clear how many of those would be for social housing.
Houston said the project would set a precedent on mixed-use developments that integrated marginal communities into the mainstream of society.
“It is the first of its kind in the country.
“The model, and what we learn from it, not only benefits Cape Town, but all of South Africa,” she said.
While former city councillor Brett Herron welcomed the latest turn-about by the council, he accused it of blocking other integrated housing developments on well-located sites.
On the other hand, he said, the council was happy to approve sites in the Cape Flats, in areas like Delft and Bishop Lavis - which were far from the economic nodes.
Among the projects allegedly blocked by “the same DA cabal” was a proposed development of under-utilised parking lot alongside the Civic Centre.
“We identified the parking lot for a mixed-use development that would include affordable and GAP housing, office space and basement parking for the City’s fleet.”
Deputy Mayor Ian Nielson denied the parking lot project was blocked, saying the council was not satisfied that adequate information was provided on which to make a decision.
He said the development projects would be tabled in council in 2019.