Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee has given the go ahead for the release of more land for affordable housing developments in Lansdowne and Ottery following public participation.

The land has a potential yield of over 680 social housing units across the Ottery and Lansdowne sites, both of which are currently vacant and unutilised.

These properties are now set to be released via an open, competitive tendering process pending City Council authorisation later this month.

The Ottery land is located near the key arterial route of Ottery Road, bordering Enslin, Crescent and Sauer Roads. The 1,6ha site has the potential for 375 social housing units in a two to four storey development.

The Lansdowne land is on the corner of Smuts and Ruby Roads near Imam Haron Road. The 1,4ha site has potential for 308 social housing units in four storeys.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says hundreds more families are set to benefit. The land has an estimated market value of R56m across the Ottery and Lansdowne sites.

It comes after the Mayco also approved the release of portions of land at the Mowbray Golf Course for mixed use developments, which will include affordable housing.

READ: Parts of Mowbray Golf Course earmarked for affordable housing

Hill-Lewis says to help developers viably maximise affordable housing yield, new City guidelines will be used to discount the land sale price.

The sale of these properties will include a clause to ensure the land is used for affordable housing by allowing the properties to revert back to City ownership if this objective is not met.

To prepare for land release, the parcels will undergo a rezoning process, and the public place status of portions of the sites will be closed where applicable to accommodate the social housing development.

The Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements Carl Pophaim says the City’s affordable housing pipeline includes land parcels expected to deliver over 12 000 residential opportunities across the metro.

‘We look forward to enabling many more affordable housing opportunities. These have proven to be a game changer for the thousands of families already tenanted at various well-located developments around the metro, including Maitland Mews in the inner city, Bothasig Gardens, Goodwood Station, and the Western Cape Government’s Conradie Park development in Pinelands.’