The Homeless Action Coalition (HAC) notes with concern the pending eviction notice from the City of Cape Town.

MEDIA STATEMENT : Released by The Homeless Action Coalition, 22nd February, 2023

The Homeless Action Coalition (HAC) notes with concern the pending eviction notice that the City of Cape Town (CoCT) has applied for and will in April hear if it is granted.

{Some of the HAC members: Mould Empower Serve U-turn Homeless Ministries Streetscapes Cape Town Community Chest of the Western Cape Nehemiah Foundation NPC }

It needs to be noted that the membership of HAC includes people experiencing homelessness, those previously homeless as well as organisations working with people experiencing homelessness for more than 36 years. The collective experience of battling homelessness is extensive. It is therefore disturbing that at no point of the process did the CoCT engage with the HAC Board to ask for assistance in their process of giving alternative solutions to these vulnerable groups.

Regular negative engagements with Law Enforcement officials have left people experiencing homelessness with a deep distrust of any CoCT involvement and thus made attempts by fieldworkers more difficult. But at no point was HAC or other experts living or working long-term in the field, contacted to assist the process of engagement with these targeted groups to really gain understanding of the individuals challenges in proposed possible solutions. Our experience working with people experiencing homelessness is that they do not want to live on the streets of Cape Town. Therefore, if offers of assistance from CoCT workers are being turned down, we really need to look at why this is so and change our approach to effectively resolve this problem.

There are many NPOs in Cape Town successfully supporting people experiencing homelessness to leave the streets, and there is a large collective understanding of what works, and what doesn't. For example: a coalition of 10 organisations are working through the National Treasury funded Public Employment Programme to effectively assist people through meaningful work, suitable accommodation (smaller groups that operates as a family), and psycho-socio support and substance use disorder interventions. A common critique of the current safe space and shelter system, including from people who have tried but failed to leave the streets, is that it only offers relief but no change or work-readiness programmes linked to trauma, substance-use disorder or psycho-socio programmes. It does not facilitate permanent employment or even permanent accommodation. It does not cater for families.

On all these issues we have repeatedly tried to engage the CoCT especially regarding the situation in Cape Town CBD. We can help but it seems that the City is not serious about engaging us in return to understand the issues better.

Our concerns are the following:

• Where are these people being moved to? Even if people go into shelters, will there be sufficient wrap-around services to ensure that people are able to really break out of the vicious cycle of homelessness? Or will they cycle back onto the streets after a few months? People are now going to set up another camp in a neighbouring community this is moving, not solving the problem.
• When will the extra bed spaces that are being created be ready? There are currently more than 14,000 people experiencing homelessness in Cape Town but currently less than 3,000 safe space and shelter beds.
• When are evidence-based, proven programmes going to be supported to scale to reach more people? Will the PEP programme for people experiencing homelessness be expanded and extended? Will organisations be supported to open drop-in/service centres, alternative transitional accommodation solutions?
• When is a roadmap for ending homelessness in Cape Town going to be developed? The Cape Town population is growing quickly and an infrastructure plan was recently launched to address some aspects of this. Where is an affordable housing plan? Where is a joint plan to effectively plan for and end homelessness in our city over the next 10 years?
• Will the often inhumane and violent treatment of people experiencing homelessness by Law Enforcement escalate with the granted court order?

The Homeless Action Coalition (HAC) is still open to be part of the solution. HAC appreciates the urgency with which the City of Cape Town views homelessness, and would like to work together towards a long-term solution. Cape Town is a city that seeks to be a world-class city in many ways; we encourage our local government to aim also to be a world-leader in embracing progressive approaches to homelessness. Therefore, we are, once again, extending the invitation to the Mayor, the Social Development and Security Departments to engage with us to find a suitable solution.

We believe homelessness can be solved if we work together - let's do this.

#homelessness #cityofcapetown #evictions