The City of Cape Town has tabled the release of the Salt River Market precinct for the development of social housing.
In addressing Council on the 28th of July 2022, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the Salt River site would deliver over 200 social housing units within a mixed-use development.
“We are making history today by enabling this nine-storey development right in the heart of the city, at Salt River Circle, close to social and economic amenities”.
Overall, the Salt River Market development will comprise of 700 mixed market units, including 216 social housing units. The development will benefit from capital and operational cross-subsidisation through the inclusion of the open market residential units
The property is also in proximity to key public transport interchanges. It is across the road from Salt River Station (where Northern, Central and Southern Lines converge), as well as MyCiti Route 261, which connects Century City to the City Bowl via Voortrekker Road, and Route 102, which connects Salt River Station to the CBD via Woodstock, Walmer Estate and District 6.
6 500 social housing units in the pipeline
“With the latest release of Salt River Market, the City now has over 800 central Cape Town social housing units in or nearing the construction phase via social housing partners”, notes Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.
“The other projects are Maitland (+-200 social housing units), and two more in Woodstock, Pine Road (+-240 social housing units) and Dillon Lane (+-150 social housing units)”.
“Inner-city projects in the land-use management phase include Newmarket Street (+- 200 social housing units), and Woodstock Hospital precinct, where around 700 social housing units have been delayed by the orchestrated building hi-jackings of March 2017. The City is committed to doing everything possible to fast-track this social housing through the correct legal channels”.
“The City currently has more than 6 500 social housing units in the overall pipeline across 50 land parcels citywide. Social Housing policy, set nationally, targets households with gross monthly incomes ranging from R1 850 to R22 000. The Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) recently estimated average monthly rentals of R722 – R6 475 for these projects, depending on household income”.
Another major project, Pickwood Road in Salt River, is set to deliver 600 social housing units in an eight-storey development which is on Council’s agenda for ‘in-principle’ approval for land release.