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It is estimated that in excess of 1 600 affordable housing opportunities can be created within the City of Cape Town if the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille makes the land available. A number of requests from the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDoHS) have been directed to her office and the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (NDoPWI) for some time in this regard. 

The latest correspondence was dispatched to her Department on 05 October 2021, requesting the release of 4 well-located parcels of land for human settlements development. To date, no response has been received. 

The parcels of land in question are situated in well-located areas in the CBD and the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. Just in the CBD alone, the property which measures just over 4 hectares could potentially yield more than 850 affordable housing opportunities.

This will particularly ensure that those who do not qualify for a Breaking New Ground (BNG)/fully state subsidised house, as their household income exceeds the R 0 - 3 500 threshold, are able to access these opportunities in well-located areas.

This latest appeal excludes the requests we’ve made since 2017, as well as the other tracts of well-located land such as Culemborg, Ysterplaat, Wingfield, Denel and Youngsfield. It’s been estimated in the past that these 5 parcels of land alone, could potentially yield approximately 93 000 housing opportunities. Yet again, to date, no formal correspondence or response has been received about these parcels of land.   

As we wrap up 2021 and look forward to the new year, I am hopeful that Minister de Lille will be more open to having a cordial intergovernmental relationship with the Western Cape, as this was not evident during our previous requests to avail well-located nationally owned land for human settlement development. Instead, requests were either outright rejected or fell on deaf ears.

This is further evident in how the Western Cape was excluded from the NDoPWI’s strategic integrated projects in July 2020, when a province such as Gauteng received assistance from her department to roll out 10 human settlements projects. 

The immediate creation of affordable housing opportunities is an important aspect which the WCDoHS seeks to address. The Syferfontein Finance Linked Individual Subsidy (FLISP) development in George has already shown a high interest with 520 applications received to date. This exceeds the supply, but clearly demonstrates why land is so important for the creation of these affordable housing opportunities.

Throughout the Western Cape, since 2009 to date, a total of approximately 360 ha of land in the ownership of the WCG has been availed for residential development purposes. This will over time yield 18 782 housing opportunities. These parcels across the province are in Ithemba, Penhill, Khayelitsha, Eersteriver, Blue Downs, Kuilsriver, Belhar, Mitchells Plain, Charlesville, Paarl and George.

Against a target of 219 664 during 2009 – 2019 tenure, the Western Cape created 231 090 housing opportunities. Since 2019 to date, a further 29 083 housing opportunities have been created.

The Western Cape Government is committed to working with different spheres of government to ensure our residents benefit from integrated, resilient, safe and sustainable human settlements in an open society.

Issued by The Western Cape Human Settlements