Cape Town is set to redevelop the iconic Woodstock Hospital into a large-scale residential project after the city council approved the sale of the R87 million property in principle last week.
The plan calls for 500 new homes, including units specifically earmarked for households earning between R3 500 and R32 000 a month.
Currently, more than 800 people occupy the site without formal permission, many of whom have lived there since 2017 when housing activists from the Reclaim the City campaign renamed the building Cissie Gool House. The campaign highlighted the pressing need for affordable housing in inner-city Woodstock and Salt River, as per ZAWYA.
While the city initially considered state-subsidised social housing capped at around R7 326 per month for households earning less than R22 000, it has opted for an open-market affordable model this time. Developers will be encouraged to maintain affordability through discounted sale prices, with funding coming from a mix of investment capital, debt finance, and developers’ equity.
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Council officials emphasised that no residents will face mass evictions. ‘There will not be an apartheid-style mass eviction in our city,’ assured Carl Pophaim, Mayco member for human settlements, noting the department is surveying current occupants to understand their circumstances.
The public has had a say in the process: 236 comments and 172 objections were received following a participation period launched in August 2024. Councillor Ian McMahon highlighted that residents want redevelopment that prioritises affordable or social housing while avoiding displacement.
Reclaim the City has outlined clear demands for the project: all current residents should remain, housing must be secure, genuinely affordable, and co-designed with occupants to ensure safe, well-managed communal living. The campaign emphasised that the original occupation of Cissie Gool House was driven by soaring inner-city rents and widespread evictions, as well as a desire to reclaim public land for the benefit of working-class residents.
The redevelopment of Woodstock Hospital represents a potential milestone in Cape Town’s ongoing struggle to address housing inequities, offering a model of collaboration between the city and communities for sustainable, inclusive urban living.
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Picture: Jaco Marais / Gallo Images
