Shelters and safe spaces for homeless people in the City of Cape Town are filling up as winter bites. Shelters for homeless people across Cape Town are filling up as winter bites. The Haven, which has 14 shelters and 1,300 beds, says the shelters are already 85% full.
While the weather is good, says Haven CEO Shaddie Valayadum, it is possible to make money on the streets. But when it’s cold … there isn’t much money to be made. “The minute it starts to get extremely cold and wet, we fill to capacity … and we are waiting for that”.
For winter, Valayadum says the Haven will free up about 100 additional bed spaces, 70 of which are new. To do this, they will move some of their seniors in shelters to longer-term places in Malmesbury, Ceres and Mossel Bay. The organisation is also upgrading its Wynberg shelter to accommodate 40 more people this year.
In 2020, U-Turn conducted a study on The Cost of Homelessness in Cape Town and estimated that there are over 14, 000 homeless people in Cape Town and Johannesburg. This was before Covid and the number has likely increased. According to the 2022 census, there are nearly 56,000 homeless people in South Africa, about 12% of them in the Cape Town Metro.
Steve Underwood, spokesperson at U-Turn, thinks the census number is too low. He suspects the true number of homeless in Cape Town is nearer 20,000.
U-Turn, which helps people acquire skills and resources, serves more than 2,500 people in four shelters in Cape Town: in Claremont, Mitchells Plain, Muizenberg and Parow. The organisation’s shelter in Claremont has 35 beds. “It is always full,” says Underwood. He says the shelter even has a “waiting list” and as the weather gets worse more and more people will come.
The City of Cape Town says that there are about 3,500 beds in shelters and safe spaces. The City runs four safe spaces, one in Durbanville, one in Bellville and two in Culemborg, with a total of 800 beds. They are 90% full, says Patricia Van der Ross, Mayco Member for Community Services and Health.
The Western Cape Government has 37 registered shelters on its website.
Van der Ross says a new site will be opened in Greenpoint in July. “The site will be able to accommodate 300 people, providing sleeping spaces, ablution facilities, a training room, social work services and 24-hour security”, she says.
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Heartbreaker
Interview with a pirate:
There was a pirate who had agreed to do an interview with a local tv station. The reporter was very courteous and professional, giving a bit of background as to the pirate\’s business. She then began interviewing him.
\”So Mr. Longbeard, are there any risks to your business? I see you have a peg leg- how did that come about?\”
\”Well, y\’see I were sailing along the coast of South Africa, looking to plunder some locals when as I boarded the small boat from the ship, a great white shark came up and got my leg clean off. \’twas scary yes, but thus is the life of a pirate.\”
\”Wow, that is pretty scary- well, how about your hook? What happened to your hand with that?\”
\”Oh now that\’s quite the tale, y\’see I were fighting a rival pirate, and we had locked swords. We had been fighting for a few hours, and were both terribly fatigued. I had a bit of exhaustion and confusion, and when I went to block one of his sword blows, I met him with me hand instead of me sword. Took it right off, but it shocked him so much I managed to get him back pretty good and have him submit. So the hook hand was given as a replacement.\”
\”Wow. Simply fascinating. Now, what about your eye patch? How did that happen?\”
\”Well, one day, a seagull was flying overhead, and I looked up. It pooped right in me eye.\”
\”… Well wow. I must admit, I wouldn\’t think just seagull poop could damage the eye that badly.\”
\”Oh, I forgot to mention… it were me first day with the hook.\”
Miss Murder
African men do not fear lions because they are aware of the bug, which is an immediate threat