Coinciding with Council’s approval on 27 May 2021 of the City of Cape Town’s new Human Settlements Strategy, a ground-breaking vision based on greater partnerships and innovation to tackle the affordable housing challenges in Cape Town, various key City departments and private sector stakeholders held an affordable housing roundtable.
The roundtable discussion, which was organised by the City’s Human Settlements Directorate, is one of the first action steps toward the vision of greater partnerships, mind shifts and innovations that are required to tackle the massive demand for affordable housing in Cape Town especially, where land is scarce and at a premium and for household incomes of up to R22 000 per month. Private sector and NGO participants included representatives from the Development Action Group (DAG), the Centre for Affordable Housing Finapertained tonce Africa (CAHFA) and micro-builder and investment facilitator Bit Prop.
Some of the points of discussion security of tenure in informal settlements, support for emerging micro-developers, social housing expanded and expedited roll out, mixed-market models and inclusionary housing, policy incentives, research and other mechanisms to leverage collaborative development.
‘We need team work, partnerships and innovation to tackle the challenges as time is of the essence. We need more affordable housing; greater spatial transformation and more livable, united neighbourhoods. The broadening of the City’s strategic role from regulator to a greater enabler of affordable housing, in partnership with all roleplayers, including emerging micro-developers, traditional private developers, social housing partners, and households themselves, is critical to meeting an increasing demand for affordable housing,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi at the opening of the Affordable Housing Roundtable.
Cape Town’s Human Settlements Strategy is for all in Cape Town. It is not for one sector or for government to handle on its own. Housing, across all types, affect all who live in Cape Town. Affordable housing, greater spatial transformation and incrementally enhancing affordable accommodation and basic services, must become a bigger part of the mainstream conversation.
‘It is important that we take decisive action and make sure we put the right policies, incentives, partnerships, legal reform and state and private capacity together to deliver on the new vision. Collaboration between City directorates and departments, households, micro-builders, social housing institutions, private developers, and all other housing partners in the private and public sector will be vital to enable us to come up with new ways to deliver affordable accommodation. We can build our future in Cape Town together. This is the first of many future roundtables and discussions that we will be entering into with partners and collaborators,’ said the City’s Executive Director for Human Settlements, Nolwandle Gqiba.
Shortfall of formal housing
A shortfall in the development of formal housing opportunities of approximately 30 000 every year within the next decade, assuming the average annual rate of supply by both the private and public sectors remain unchanged.
To accommodate projected growth as well as to manage the existing housing demand, it is estimated that roughly 500 000 housing opportunities need to be created between now and 2028.
Urbanisation will continue and the associated growth in informality, especially considering the dire national economic conditions in South Africa. This is not a problem that is unique to Cape Town, but it is perhaps exacerbated by the limited suitable land and topography of Cape Town as a Peninsula.
All suitable City-owned land must continue to be assessed, including suitable land in and near the Cape Town CBD and other urban centres with various uses – from golf courses to mixed use areas – to determine whether some of these properties could be developed for affordable housing opportunities among others.
Source: City Of Cape Town