Cape Town Foreshore plan offers affordable housing but no unit target

The City of Cape Town's plan to develop 15 hectares of prime Foreshore land aims to generate affordable housing, though the exact number of units has yet to be disclosed. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis unveiled the plan on October 2, which includes a new inner-city neighborhood and significant modifications to the freeway network. While affordable housing is part of the proposal, the City has not specified the type of affordable housing being considered or the exact number of units.

Mayoral candidate Brett Herron has criticized Hill-Lewis over the housing commitment and the project's cost. Herron demands to know the project's cost, funding source, timeline, involvement of Transnet, and the specific number of affordable homes that will be delivered. The City's plan is to be developed in phases, potentially taking decades to complete.

The first phase involves widening the inbound freeway and constructing a link bridge over Buitengracht Street, freeing up three parcels of land for residential development. The second phase would include an outbound tunnel and the demolition of the existing elevated outbound freeway, freeing up additional land for development and public space.

This phase could continue until around 2040. Hill-Lewis emphasizes that the project is still in its early stages, with public participation, detailed engineering, funding decisions, and procurement yet to be finalized. Herron notes that the lack of detail regarding affordable housing is particularly concerning, given the Foreshore development's history.

A previous City process involving affordable housing and private development was abandoned in 2018 due to appeals and legal advice on the procurement process. Herron argues that the earlier model would have utilized private funding to help pay for the infrastructure. He describes the new proposal as "hollow election-linked puffery" unless the City provides more details on cost, funding, housing, and Transnet land.