Social Development
- Whether his Department has conducted any research or assessment to determine the number of people who are homeless and living on the streets in the province and in the City of Cape Town; if not, why not; if so, how many homeless people are living on the streets in the (a) province and (b) City of Cape Town’s metropolitan area;
- (a)(i) how does his Department render services to homeless people and
(ii) what services are being rendered and,
(b)(i) which shelters or facilities are available for providing housing (temporary shelter or long-term housing) to homeless people living on the streets in Cape Town, (ii) what is the total capacity of each facility and (iii) how much of the capacity is available for homeless people living on the streets;
- whether any of the shelters or facilities place a time limit on the period
for which a resident may remain in residence; if so, (a) what are these
time limits and (b) what becomes of a resident who is not able to reunite or reintegrate after that time limit has been reached?
Answered by Hon Londt.
(1) The Western Cape Department of Social Development (WC DSD) partners with municipalities and NGOs to obtain information on the number of people living on the streets. Estimated figures vary widely and the numbers constantly fluctuate as people move around, enter and leave shelters, and return to their homes. Should we get additional funding or other resources further work can be done for more accurate numbers, or to conduct a census.
(2) (a)(i) The WC DSD collaborates with and funds 36 shelters for homeless adults, allocating a total of R37,363,047.00 for the 2024/25 financial year.
(ii) The 36 shelters are subsidized for a total of 2,388 bed spaces per night for homeless adults. This number is separate from any shelter spaces funded by municipalities. The services are supported by 37 social workers and 26 social auxiliary workers who are funded by the department to deliver psycho-social support, family reunification and community reintegration services, substance abuse and mental health support, as well as social and economic skills assistance to help individuals find employment.
(b)(i) The 36 funded shelters provide temporary accommodation with the goal of family reunification or community reintegration. The Department of Social Development does not provide long-term housing.
(ii) These 36 DSD-funded shelters can accommodate between 20 to 120 beds per shelter, with a total of 2,388 DSD-subsidized beds.
(iii) Currently, all funded shelters are operating at full capacity. Expanding shelters to offer temporary housing for people living on the streets will require additional funding.
(3)(a) Shelter clients are provided with temporary accommodation for up to 6 months, in line with the WC DSD Norms and Standards for Shelters for Homeless Adults. During this period, social workers assist clients in reintegrating into their communities or reuniting with family members through various interventions, as previously mentioned.
(b) Clients have the option to submit a motivational letter to the social worker, explaining their reasons for requesting an extension of their stay. In many cases, the stay is extended when community reintegration or family reunification proves difficult.
