eThekwini's innovative strategies to combat homelessness in Durban

The eThekwini Municipality held a workshop recently to assess current by-law capabilities to deal with offences committed by homeless people on Durban’s streets. 

This was part of the municipality’s inner city rejuvenation programme and homeless interventions.

The municipality stated that it was aware that the homeless community comprises individuals who are suffering from an addiction, unemployed foreign nationals, undocumented individuals, and hard sleepers who have lost their residences.

Puvendra Akkiah, senior manager of Integrated Development Plans and town planner in eThekwini Municipality, said the city’s strategies are intertwined with various internal and external partners to best serve the needs of this sector and provide sustained solutions.

This includes innovative strategies to manage the feeding charities within eThekwini. Akkiah explained that the workshop focused on establishing an effective management strategy for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community–based organisations (CBOs) that conduct feeding along public streets. 

“The outcome seeks to ensure that the process is formalised for food quality, public realm hygiene, and designated feeding areas,” he said. 

Akkiah announced that Phase 1 of the Sakhithemba Shelter in Illovo, south of Durban, is expected to be completed by November 2025. The shelter will have a maximum occupancy capacity of 800 at completion. 

The shelter comprises two sleeper rooms, an administration block, an ablution block, a kitchen, and a recreation, health, and wellness centre. The shelter will be managed by an NGO.

“Screening and assessments for admission will be conducted by a social worker through an intake and profiling process. The city has two safe sleeping spaces at Block AK and behind the Jewish centre, which will soon be decommissioned once Sakhithemba becomes operational,” he said. 

The challenges faced by the municipality include: 

• The presence of homeless or hard sleepers in the city centre. 
• The presence of individuals among the destitute who are predisposed to committing crimes to fund their lifestyle.
• Absentee landlords and syndicated criminal activity that threaten the effective function of the city and its enforcement mechanisms. 

Highlights of the municipality’s multi-stakeholder technical task team on homelessness interventions and programmes include: 

• Sheltering and safe sleeping spaces: Sakhithemba Shelter/ Block AK/ Jewish and Strollers.
• Pathways out of homelessness (Skills development and training, ID document support programme, job opportunities, drug rehabilitation and treatment, reunification with families). 
• Skills development and training: 59 homeless people have received skills training through eThekwini Municipal Academy in electrical, plumbing, computer numerical control, administration, motor mechanics, and welding after a screening process.

• Approximately 232 homeless people have been admitted to safe sleeping spaces in the past six months.
• 364 homeless people have been assisted to apply for IDs, 201 have received new IDs, and can apply for employment.
• Job opportunities: Southern Sun has provided employment opportunities to 31 homeless people through collaborative efforts.

To assist with homeless intervention, the municipality is exploring outcomes-based contracts with private sector investors to fund sustainable employment outcomes through the support of the National Treasury Cities Support Programme and World Bank Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment.

One of them is the Harm Reduction Centre at Bellhaven Memorial Hall in Greyville to offer drug management programmes. The city is finalising the lease agreement with the NPO. 

In August 2022, the city conducted a multi-stakeholder homeless workshop, where policy was identified as a key challenge that impacts the effectiveness of a homeless reduction strategy.

The development of the Homelessness Policy through internal consultative processes commenced in November 2022. A draft policy is now due for external consultation and will be shared through the municipal website for comments.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za