The City of Cape Town has opened three new assessment centres in three weeks to provide assistance and rehabilitation for the most vulnerable residents of the city – the homeless.
Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Early Childhood Development, Councillor Beverley Cortje-Alcock, opened the Bellville Assessment Centre on Wednesday 22 August 2012, the Muizenberg Assessment Centre on Tuesday 28 August 2012, and the Table View Assessment Centre on Thursday 6 September 2012.
The Bellville centre was formed through a partnership between the City and the Tygerberg Association for Street People, the Muizenberg Assessment Centre is a partnership between the City and EMCE Coaching, and the Table View Assessment Centre was formed in a partnership with the NGO Tender Loving Care. All these partnerships were facilitated by the City’s Homeless Agency Committee.
These partnerships provide street people with access to emergency shelter and professional assessment of their needs, so they can have access to services which will help in their rehabilitation. This forms part of the City’s commitment to ensuring that Cape Town is a caring and inclusive city.
There are now six such assessment centres, with the others situated in Strand, Observatory and Cape Town. There are plans to open at least two more.
Cllr Cortje-Alcock said at the launch of the Bellville Assessment Centre that she has witnessed the abuse, prejudice and poverty that are most often the hallmarks of life on the streets.
“This personal experience has reaffirmed my commitment to assisting, as much as I am able to, the most vulnerable in our city. It has also reaffirmed my belief in the importance of government, business, communities, policing agencies, and religious organisations working together to holistically address this universal problem.”
She listed numerous difficulties in dealing with issues of persons living on the streets, such as the authorities’ costs of cleaning up crime and grime, residents’ safety concerns, as well as the effects of street people on business security and the local economy. The City has partnered with a number of organisations, and street people themselves, in order to tackle these issues.
“Over the past year, the City of Cape Town has renewed its commitment to addressing the challenge of people living on our city’s streets… The Social Development and Early Childhood Development Directorate has made R3 million available in this financial year to further the cause of reducing the number of people living on the streets,” she said.
“We also realise that, given the City’s limited resources and legislative imperatives, there is no way that the City will be able to solve the issue of street people on its own. Therefore the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Directorate is engaging with all other stakeholders such as business, NGOs, civil society, CIDs among others to find sustainable ways of managing the problems associated with people living on the streets while providing such persons with opportunities and tools to exit this highly dehumanising lifestyle.”
The City of Cape Town is the only municipality with a Street People Policy, which was drafted and is reviewed by the Homeless Agency Committee (HOMAC) – comprising political leaders, City officials and other stakeholders in the sector.
Numerous steps have been taken to address the issue, including a city-wide survey of the number of street people, key spots where they are found and why they are on the streets; assessment centres such as the one opened in Bellville; field workers to assist street people; the Cape Town Cares – Give Responsibly campaign; and extra support for the Winter Plan Programme, which assists shelters and organisations over the winter months.
- The City has a toll-free 24-hour helpline, 0800 872 201, to report anyone living on the street. A field worker will be dispatched to assist the street person. Email: displacedpeople@capetown.gov.za.
- Street People website
- Street People Strategy
