Here’s how much land in Cape Town has been identified for social housing – and why there’s a backlog

Cape Town's limited geography presents challenges for the development of social housing, despite a growing demand. According to the Department of Human Settlement (DHS), there are 817 registered households per hectare in the housing demand database. The city has identified 600 hectares, or six square kilometres, of land for affordable housing across 120 land parcels. Of these parcels, 400 hectares are being prepared for implementation, while 40 hectares have completed projects, housing 6,000 units.

However, the backlog remains substantial, with approximately 160,000 households added to the register in the past five years alone. DHS estimates that just over 21,000 units can be built on the available land, but the total backlog is close to 500,000 households. Over 120,000 households have been registered over 20 years ago, with an additional 370,000 added since then.

Addressing the backlog is complicated by budget limitations and scarce land availability, making it difficult to determine when the backlog could be resolved. The department is exploring alternative housing models, such as subsidy-funded developments, but these face challenges in well-located urban areas with scarce and costly land. Additionally, 2,500 units remain trapped in delayed projects, with a development cost of approximately R4 billion.

The Western Cape province has a larger backlog, estimated at around 750,000 households, according to the provincial government. However, Western Cape Infrastructure MEC Tertius Simmers clarified that the housing assistance database is fluid and includes various initiatives like informal settlement upgrading, subsidised homes, and social housing. He emphasized the importance of beneficiary verification to ensure housing opportunities reach the correct qualifying beneficiaries.