An article from 29 July reported that the City of Cape Town opened a “new 300-bed Safe Space shelter in Green Point”: “The facility, based at a portion of the municipal depot on Ebenezer Road in Green Point, is the fifth Safe Space to be opened by the City and takes the total beds to 1070 across these facilities…” “City-funded Safe Spaces offer dignified transitional shelter and 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.”
“The City’s Safe Space model includes:
- dignified shelter,
- comfort and ablutions,
- two meals per day,
- access to a social worker on-site,
- personal development planning,
- various social services including ID Book and social grant assistance,
- family reunification services
- access to substance and alcohol abuse treatment,
- skills training,
- help finding a job, and
- access to EPWP work placement”.
The majority of people who were served eviction notices on 31 July have accepted the offer of transitioning into one of these shelters. The settlement outside of the Castle in the CBD has until the end of September to move, according to information at a recent CPF meeting. If you see someone rough sleeping or on the street and in need of assistance, you can call the City of Cape Town’s Street People Unit on 0800 872 201.
It is important to be vigilant about suspicious presences in our area, but being homeless is not a crime. The following are some guidelines for serious infringements that should be reported to law enforcement (107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a mobile):
- open fires,
- drug use,
- public urination,
- damage to public property,
- littering, and/or
- the building of a structure (NOTE: law enforcement may only remove a structure if it is in the process of being erected or partly built. There is no 24/48/72 hour period in which a structure/tent can be removed)
