The City of Cape Town has moved closer to Woodstock Hospital affordable housing. They approved, in principle, the R87 million sale of the former hospital site. The land, now known as Cissie Gool House, is earmarked for about 500 homes for households earning between R3 500 and R32 000 a month.
More than 800 people have occupied the old hospital since 2017 as part of a push for affordable homes near the Cape Town CBD. They renamed the building Cissie Gool House and argue that public land in Woodstock and Salt River should serve working class residents, not only private developments.
Mixed-Income Homes and No Mass Eviction
The plan favours a mixed-income, open market affordable housing model rather than a fully subsidised project. Therefore developers will need to keep prices within reach of lower and middle income households. In addition they will rely on a blend of private investment, debt finance and equity to fund construction.
At the same time city officials say there will not be a mass eviction. Instead teams are surveying households inside Cissie Gool House to understand people’s circumstances and housing needs. The findings will then guide relocation options, temporary accommodation and possible future tenancies in the new development. In the end the focus will be on balancing inner city affordable housing with legal and financial duties.
Occupants Push for Secure, Long Term Homes
Community leaders see the decision to dispose of the land as a chance to secure long term, affordable rental housing in Woodstock. Consequently they call for a mixed development that includes secure tenure for current residents, strong building management and safeguards against arbitrary eviction.
Residents also want safe, dignified living conditions that keep them close to jobs, schools and public transport. They argue that the Woodstock Hospital affordable housing must protect low income households from being priced out as property values rise.
Cape Town faces a housing waiting list of hundreds of thousands of people. Therefore the outcome at Cissie Gool House will test whether prime public land can help ease the crisis. Additionally it should keep long standing residents rooted in their neighbourhoods.
