Cape Town is gearing up to open its latest Safe Space shelter in Muizenberg, to accommodate more of the city’s homeless population.
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Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis recently announced that the City will allocate R4 million from the Mayoral Fund for this initiative, with a private donor pledging an additional matching amount.
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The Muizenberg Safe Space is designed to provide dignified transitional shelter and extensive social interventions aimed at helping homeless individuals move away from life on the streets. Operated by U-Turn, a respected non-profit organisation with experience in similar programmes across the city, the shelter will initially operate for three years with the allocated funds.
Currently, negotiations are underway for the lease of a suitable municipal site, with plans for public participation and necessary planning approvals already in progress. Once operational, the safe space will offer a wide range of services, including personal development planning, access to employment opportunities, and referrals for mental health, medical, and substance abuse treatments.
The Muizenberg Safe Space will join five existing facilities located in the CBD, Bellville and Durbanville areas, contributing to a comprehensive city-wide network. These facilities provide not only dignified shelter and meals but also access to social workers, skills training, and family reunification services.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed satisfaction with the R4 million allocation from the Mayoral Fund, highlighting that this new facility will mark the sixth dignified transitional shelter opened by the City. He also noted that the imminent opening of a new 300-bed safe space in Green Point will bring the total number of beds to 1 070 across the existing facilities in the CBD, Bellville, and Durbanville areas.
Hill-Lewis emphasised the importance of accepting social assistance to improve dignity, health, and well-being, urging against indefinite refusal of offers of shelter and support.
Councillor Patricia van der Ross, mayoral committee member for Community Services and Health, added that the City currently assists approximately 3 500 people annually with shelter placements or referrals to various social services. She expressed enthusiasm about extending these services to more people in the broader Muizenberg area, in collaboration with the community and civil society.
The City’s Safe Space model is comprehensive, offering dignified shelter, amenities, two meals daily, on-site access to social workers, personal development planning, social services such as assistance with identification documents and social grants, family reunification services, access to substance and alcohol abuse treatment, skills training, job search assistance, and opportunities for EPWP work placement.
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Picture: ER Lombard / Gallo Images