The City of Cape Town has secured heritage approval for its biggest inner city social housing development of around 700 units at the old Woodstock Hospital, but there is another obstacle in their way: the property has been occupied for years.
The City says heritage approval is a critical milestone towards design and submission of building plans, but they have accused the organisation Ndifuna Ukwazi of hi-jacking the building in early 2017, as part of their Reclaim the City campaign.
The provincially owned Helen Bowden Nurses Home was also occupied around the same time.
In October 2018, the Western Cape High Court granted an order interdicting and restraining Reclaim the City from “inciting persons to enter or be upon the property for the purpose of unlawfully occupying or invading”.
The acting Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements says the Woodstock Hospital property has favourable zoning and rights for social housing development.
He says with heritage approval secured, the main obstacle is now the ongoing unlawful occupation of the property.
‘The City is determined to proceed with the planning and development of social housing, as well as taking engagements forward with unlawful occupants to unlock social housing development in the shortest possible time.
‘There are now pending eviction proceedings following the Western Cape High Court granting the City an order to survey the number and individual circumstances of occupants.’
In response, Ndifuna Ukwazi accused the City of dishonesty:
”It is dishonest that the City claims that the occupation is the biggest obstacle when it has failed to produce any inner-city affordable housing since the dawn of democracy. If anything, the recent progress should be partially attributed to activist pressure. It is only since activists increased the pressure that we have seen any progress. Several city projects with absolutely nothing to do with Cissie Gool House are on the verge of cancellation because of government failure, and they would do well to focus on this.”
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has said heritage approval for social housing at Woodstock Hospital is ‘welcome progress towards our goal of faster affordable housing land release in well-located parts of the City’.
Overall, the City has 6 500 social housing units in the planning pipeline across 50 land parcels City-wide.
Several sites recently received critical City Council land release approvals for social housing, including:
- Newmarket Street (Cape Town) – 200 units
- Salt River Market (Salt River) – 215 units
- Pickwick (Salt River) – 600 units
- Fruit and Veg (CBD) – 180 units
- Earl Street (Woodstock) – 160 units
