The People's Housing Project in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain has been described by Executive Mayor Dan Plato as a blueprint for future housing developments in South Africa.
Plato was on hand to celebrate the completion of the project on Thursday 5 November 2009, as well as to hand over keys to two residents.
The 493 families in Freedom Park built their own houses through the People's Housing Process, which was facilitated by the Development Action Group (DAG).
Plato said the event celebrated "a disadvantaged community that decided to work together in a constructive way and be involved at every stage in the development of solutions to their housing needs".
"Freedom Park features cutting edge designs and appropriate technology that has the best possible functionality within the conditions that it works and with the money that is available. We also see urban planning that is tailor-made for this community, and which will respond to your needs better than any solution dreamed up by an outsider ever could," he said.
The Freedom Park initiative is aligned with the broader urban renewal programme for the Mitchells Plain area.
Plato affirmed that the City is committed to addressing Cape Town's housing challenges in close co-operation with poorer communities, and pointed out that he is proud of the example that Freedom Park has set.
He also thanked the NGOs and investors who have been involved in the project.
"The launch went very well, with the Mayor handing over keys to the owners of different types of homes," said Erin Torkelson, a researcher at DAG, which has been involved in the project since 2002.
The initiative is the culmination of a long journey for Freedom Park residents. On Freedom Day 1998, backyard dwellers occupied an undeveloped field in Mitchells Plain. They initiated protracted legal action when they were served with eviction orders, and continued living there for five years, until a 2003 fire in nearby Hyde Park led to an agreement between the City and the residents, who agreed to make room for those who had lost their homes in the fire, in exchange for tenure of the land.
In 2004, chemical toilets and standpipes were installed to provide basic sanitation and water, and infrastructure development began in 2006.
Freedom Park now accommodates 493 families and boasts a community-owned hall and other public spaces.
The project has given people the opportunity to own their own homes and has provided them with skills training and job opportunities, as well as enabling them to tackle many other issues facing their community, such as gangsterism and drugs.
Plato told residents that he wanted to see them building on their achievements, and that it was their responsibility to ensure that Freedom Park develops into a place that is known for being safe, clean, well-maintained and a pleasure to live in.