No fewer than 237 affordable housing units are set to be built on the so-called “Fruit & Veg” site.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed the decision following Council’s approval of the project, which forms part of the City’s drive to increase affordable housing in well-located areas.
The approval comes eight years after the section of municipal land was first earmarked for affordable housing.
The 3 300m² property, that used to house a Fruit & Veg supermarket, now a Food Lovers Market, lies between Kent and Bloemhof Streets, on the edge of District Six and the CBD.
Its central location places future residents within walking distance of transport links, schools, universities and job opportunities.
Over 300 residential units
Thanks to a proposal from developer YG Group, the number of social housing units planned for the site has grown from 180 to 237. Overall, the mixed-use development will include 375 residential units in total and 435m2 of retail space.
“This is the kind of address that can change people’s lives and open up new opportunities for them,” said Hill-Lewis.
“We pledged to speed up affordable housing delivery, and so far this term we’ve released more land than in the previous ten years combined. This is one way we are breaking down the spatial legacy of apartheid by creating affordable housing options in well-located parts of the metro where people want to live and work.”
The City’s Accelerated Land Release for Affordable Housing programme includes:
- A pipeline of 12 000 affordable housing units across Cape Town, including thousands in inner-city areas such as Woodstock, Salt River and Maitland.
- Legislative reforms to speed up building approvals.
- Support for small-scale developers, including a new township development fund to reduce costs and pre-approved building plan templates.
City Mayco Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Carl Pophaim, welcomed the release of the land but stressed that national funding remains a major hurdle.
“To really ignite the social housing sector in South Africa, national government needs to back its promises with budget allocations,” he said. “Pro-poor grant funding to metros that spend responsibly is one of the best ways national government can use its money. It’s vital that all three spheres of government work together to deliver affordable housing at scale and pace.”
The City says its efforts are aimed at households earning between R1 850 and R32 000 per month, with the goal of ensuring that more Capetonians can access housing close to work and economic opportunities.
Is this prime real estate?
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