District Six is set to receive a new shelter for individuals living on the streets with the proposed Hope Exchange Shelter for Homeless Adults. Residents and concerned parties have until 14 July to provide feedback on this initiative.
The shelter is planned to be located at the old Tafelberg crèche in Zonnebloem.
As part of the public consultation process, interested individuals or groups can submit written comments to the head of the Department of Social Development via e-mail to [email protected] or hand deliver them to Union House, 14 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town.
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According to the People’s Post, the Western Cape Department of Social Development has highlighted the urgent need for additional shelter due to the growing number of people residing on the streets or in informal structures in the area.
If approved, the shelter will offer accommodation for 116 individuals, providing them with beds, meals, development plans and access to a social worker who will offer psychosocial support. The facility will also offer services such as referrals to healthcare and professional support, family reunification assistance and community reintegration programmes.
Although the proposed shelter aims to address the pressing issue of homelessness, it has faced criticism from some residents, as the People’s Post previously reported.
The Department of Social Development emphasised in a statement that, despite the presence of two other shelters in District Six, the demand for shelter services exceeds the existing capacity of 173 beds.
The objective of establishing an additional shelter is to provide more people with opportunities to improve their circumstances and transition away from life on the streets.
The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure has identified the Hope Exchange site as the most suitable and financially viable option. The existing building will undergo remodelling primarily within its internal spaces, including the kitchen, office area, bathrooms and dormitories for the accommodation of 116 individuals. The shelter’s external appearance will remain largely unchanged.
Concerns regarding noise have been addressed, as the site is over 100 metres away from the nearest residential accommodation, minimising potential noise disturbances during the refurbishment process.
Safety measures will also be implemented, including repairs to the external perimeter fence. Precautions will be taken to secure the site throughout the renovation phase and, once operational, to ensure the safety of both clients and visitors, the People’s Post reports.
If approved, remodelling work is expected to commence around October of this year and is estimated to last between five and seven months, with the shelter projected to become operational next year.
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Monique Mortlock-Malgas, the spokesperson for Sharna Fernandez, the provincial social development minister, highlighted the department’s efforts to address the increasing demand for shelter services. In the current fiscal year, R31 million has been allocated to 37 shelters for homeless adults. These subsidies cover expenses such as social worker positions, nutrition and operational costs.
It is important to note that this funding does not include shelters and safe spaces funded by the City of Cape Town.
Carlos Mesquita, the founder of Outsider, an organisation supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, acknowledged the importance of shelters but emphasised the need for second-phase shelters rather than entry-phase ones. He expressed concern about the lack of options available to individuals who have completed the initial phase and are ready for employment.
According to Mesquita, providing another 100- or 300-bed shelter will not effectively solve the underlying problem, stating that the latest count of homeless people in the City Bowl is more than 7 000.
Mesquita called for a comprehensive approach that focuses on assisting individuals in permanently transitioning away from homelessness.
‘Where do people go after the three- or six-month period in the shelter? They get put out until the next time they are told that the bylaws say that they have to go back into a shelter. This is why people don’t want to go to shelters because it is like this merry-go-round that goes nowhere. We are locking people into homelessness with the system we have at the moment,’ he said.
To participate in the public consultation process, residents, stakeholders, or interested groups can submit written comments to the head of the Department of Social Development by 14 July, either by email or by delivering them in person.
More information can be found here.
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