Fears that Muizenberg shelter will hurt tourism
Turning a parking lot off Muizenberg beachfront into a homeless shelter will be “economic suicide” for tourism in the area, say businesses and a civic group opposed to the plan. Some say the City’s proposal to house the homeless at the Sidmouth Road parking lot site was “poorly thought through”
They say the City’s proposal to house the homeless at the Sidmouth Road parking lot site was “poorly thought through”.
On Monday July 15, Sub-council 19 approved a proposal from the City’s property management department for the parking lot to be handed over from the safety and security directorate to the community, arts and culture directorate, which includes community services and health.
According to the proposal the facility will be “designed to provide dignified transitional shelter and extensive social interventions” to help get people off the streets.
Earlier this month, the Echo reported that mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis would contribute R4 million to the project from the Mayoral Fund which will be matched by a private donor (“City approves new shelter in Muizenberg,” Echo July 11).
Jean-Ray Knighton Fitt, CEO of U-Turn, a non-profit organisation that helps the homeless get off the streets, confirmed that U-Turn would apply to lease the property.
U-Turn was committed to raising at least R7 million to operate the City Safe Space for at least three years on suitable City-owned land, he said.
No matter what site was proposed, he said, there would always be opposition from people who do not want it in their immediate vicinity.
“U-Turn is not going to get into the politics of one site or another but will apply to the City for a lease and then work with whichever suitable site the city determines to allocate to us,” he said.
The Muizenberg Improvement District (MID) chairman Simon Roberts said the proposal was approved despite a request from the MID to defer it from the agenda for further discussions.
Mr Roberts said it was concerning that that the public had not been informed or consulted on the matter, and it was unclear why the Sidmouth Road lot was the only possible option.
“The proposed location is in the middle of our beachfront CBD and could severely impact tourism and businesses, undermining many years of urban renewal efforts by the MID, and the private and public sector,” he said, adding that the economic development directorate had yet to comment on this agenda item, which the MID saw as a major oversight.
He said the matter had not been discussed at the last Ward 64 committee meeting in June, and there were legitimate objections from Muizenberg property and business owners.
For more than 10 years, he said, the MID had been requesting that the space be made available for commercialisation.
“To the public, it appears that the council has already made up its mind and that the promised public participation will merely be a tick box exercise,” he said.
However, the City said the process was merely a transfer from one directorate to another should the current unutilised 1 141m² fenced lot be used for purposes other than a parking lot.
The City said the process was internal and the sub-council was but one commenting body, and every directorate in the City was also being asked for comment.
“There is no decision by the City on this matter beyond that,” it said.
However, it added that U-Turn would be entitled to apply to lease the site, with certain terms and conditions, and the potential lease, including the terms and conditions, would be advertised for public comment.
Stuart Schroeder, of the Clarendon Court body corporate, a block of flats that is directly opposite the lot, said none of the residents had been contacted by anyone to discuss the matter.
He said residents were concerned about drug and alcohol abuse, the prevalence of TB, a drop in property value, loitering, an increase in crime, and general safety.
“The site is prime property one street away from the beach, and there is a huge opportunity for the site to be used for business opportunities instead which can create jobs,” he said.
He said while a shelter for the homeless was much needed, the location was not ideal as residents already had to deal with drug abuse and loitering from the homeless as their building provided great shelter from the southeaster.
He questioned whether the homeless people on the mountain near the police station would use the shelter and said it could mean an influx of more homeless people from other areas.
“This will not solve Muizenberg’s homeless problem,” he said.
He said it was also one of the exits from the beach, and while it would be secure inside, he questioned how safe it would be on the outside for tourists using the route.
Ian Selvan, chairman of the Cinnabar Flats body corporate, said even if the location didn’t affect residents they believed it was the wrong location.
He described the decision as “short-term thinking” and said having a shelter for the homeless in the middle of a tourist attraction made no sense.
He too doubted that the people on the mountains and living under the bridge would use it.
“We would like the council to do some research of properties available and suggest some locations,” he said, adding that while they were in support of anything that would make a positive change, they were strongly opposed to the location.
Daniel Blaauw, CEO and founder of a property management agency based in Muizenberg, said no tourist had ever told a friend to visit a destination because it had an amazing homeless shelter.
He said most of the homeless in the area worked as car guards and adding another 60 to the mix could create a situation where they would be competing for jobs.
However, Richard Bolland, a Palmer Road business owner and founder of New Hope, a non-profit that works with the homeless, said that from a non-profit sector perspective he did not mind where the shelter went as long as it was successful.
The perception of a shelter, he said, was a negative one due to poorly run shelters in the greater Cape Town area.
If the shelter was well-run, it would not only reduce homelessness but increase security in the area, which was currently lacking.
The shelter could make the Sidmouth Road area more aesthetically pleasing and would not affect tourism as it would be safe and functional.
He said he had had many conversations with the local homeless people, and they were keen to move to the shelter.
Mr Knighton Fitt said U-Turn believed the Sidmouth site was ideal for a shelter as it was easily accessible to the homeless community and next to the bridge where many homeless people slept.
“It is currently an eyesore, and U-Turn will ensure that its new Safe Space building will be an attractive structure that significantly enhances the look and safety of the area.”
While U-Turn had helped many Muizenberg homeless, several people from elsewhere were also helped at the Muizenberg centre, he said.
“We do not bar people from accessing services. The nature of homeless residency is transient and a high percentage of people that are currently homeless in Muizenberg have probably lived somewhere else as well.”
The organisation had strict ablution, bedding, and pest control protocols at all its shelters and had never had issues with lice infestations or TB, he said.
The MID will hold a public meeting on Monday July 29 at 6pm at the YWAM Ubuntu Centre, at 3 Wherry Road, Muizenberg.
