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Sheriff concludes eviction in Cape Town’s east CBD

<div>The eviction took place today, 10 April, under the court’s direction, via the sheriff and SAPS, with City social development officials and law enforcement playing supportive roles. </div><div><br></div><div>The court order further includes a standing interdict against any re-occupation at the courts, as well as further city-owned public spaces identified in the order. </div><div><br></div><div>The City’s offers of dignified transitional shelter still stand for any of the occupants evicted today who have not already made their own alternative arrangements.</div><div><br></div><div>City Safe Spaces offer social programmes to assist people off the streets sustainably, reintegrate them into society, and reunite them with family. Personal development planning and employment opportunities are made available, as are referrals for mental health, medical, and substance abuse treatment. </div><div> </div><div>‘The City has extended every offer of care to individuals unlawfully occupying the Culemborg area, including dignified transitional shelter at our Safe Spaces. This offer still stands even for those evicted today who have refused all support over time, as accepting social assistance to get off the streets is the best choice for dignity, health, and well-being.</div><div><br></div><div>‘The City has followed all due process under the law for this eviction in Cape Town’s east CBD, which is a vital economic hub that must be open and available to all. No person has the right to reserve a public space as exclusively theirs, while indefinitely refusing all offers of shelter and social assistance. </div><div> </div><div>‘The City helps around 3 500 people a year through shelter placements or referrals to social services to get off the streets sustainably. We are also investing over R220m in the next three years to expand dignified transitional shelter,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.</div><div> </div><div>The City is further awaiting the High Court’s imminent ruling on a final eviction order for various homeless encampment sites in the CBD, including along Buitengracht Street, FW De Klerk Boulevard, Foregate Square, taxi rank and Foreshore, Helen Suzman Boulevard, Strand Street, Foreshore/N1, Virginia Avenue and Mill Street Bridge in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>On 22 February, the Sheriff carried out an eviction order for the remaining unlawful occupants at the Green Point Tennis Courts.</div><div> </div><div><strong>City expanding Safe Space dignified transitional shelter</strong></div><div> </div><div>The City is spending over R220 million in the next three years to expand and operate its Safe Space transitional shelters beyond the current 770 beds across the CBD, Bellville, and Durbanville facilities.</div><div> </div><div>The City currently operates two Safe Spaces at Culemborg in the east CBD which offer 510 shelter beds across the facilities, with a new 300-bed Safe Space in Green Point set to open in the coming months.</div><div> </div><div>The City also recently supported a 63% bed boost to the CBD’s Haven Night Shelter, expanding this facility from 96 to 156 beds via a R500 000 cost contribution. During last winter, the City further enabled several NGOs to add 300 more temporary bed spaces to cope with additional shelter demand, including the deployment of 184 EPWP workers to assist NPOs.</div><div> </div><div>The City further runs the Matrix substance abuse treatment programme, with an 83% success rate for clients, addressing a key driver of why people end up on the streets.</div><div> </div><div>In the 12 months ending June 2023, the City helped almost 3 500 individuals with shelter placement or referrals to an array of social services. This includes 2 246 shelter placements, 112 family reunifications and reintegrations, 1 124 referrals to social services, and over 880 short-term contractual job opportunities via the Expanded Public Works Programme.</div><div> </div><div>The City’s Safe Space model includes:</div><div><ul><li>dignified shelter,</li><li> comfort and ablutions,</li><li>two meals per day,</li><li> access to a social worker on-site,</li><li>personal development planning,</li><li>various social services including ID Book and social grant assistance,</li><li>family reunification services</li><li>access to substance and alcohol abuse treatment,</li><li>skills training,</li><li>help finding a job, and</li><li>access to EPWP work placement</li></ul></div><div><strong>End</strong><br></div><p><br></p>

2024-04-09T22:00:00Z

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