The City of Cape Town has welcomed the start of the Goodwood social housing project, which is expected to deliver 1 050 rental housing units.
“We must continue working towards reversing the legacy of apartheid spatial planning by promoting transport-oriented development,” Malusi Booi, Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, said on Tuesday.
“At the same time, we must work towards creating affordable and inclusionary housing on well-located land close to public transport and job opportunities, as is the case with this new project.
“In addition, we must plan and cater for a wide range of income groupings to respond to the increased demands of urbanisation.”
Commenting on the Goodwood train station site development, Booi said: “It demonstrates social housing in action and what is possible when partners in government and the private sector work together.
“Social housing, which offers affordable rental units for families with a combined monthly income of between R1 500 and R15 000, is one delivery model that we are driving hard as a City.
“This is a partnership between the City, the Western Cape Government’s Department of Human Settlements, the social housing institution DCI Community Housing Services, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Intersite Asset Investments and the National Housing Finance Corporation, among others. The government subsidy contribution to this social housing project is approximately R280 million.
“The City has provided development facilitation support and various incentives to contribute to the financial viability and operational sustainability of this social housing development.”
“It is quite symbolic that the site for this development is on the Goodwood train station site. This is fully in line with our strategy of positioning housing developments and social housing opportunities closer to smaller city centres and transport hubs.
Booi added: “We continue to assess City-owned land, including in and near the Cape Town CBD, among others, to determine whether some of these properties could be developed for housing opportunities – be it for transitional, affordable, social housing, or State-subsidised BNG housing.
“There are no quick fixes but we are absolutely committed to building integrated communities with different types of residential developments based on a mix of income groups and circumstances.
“The development and availability of affordable rental accommodation in central areas of the city is pivotal to the future development of Cape Town.”
