Background
Claims vs reality
Parcels of vacant or unused public land in Cape town
Total size of vacant or unused public land in Cape Town
All three spheres of government claim that there is a shortage of public land to build well-located affordable housing, but is this true? This map, which was manually developed over a number of years, clearly demonstrates that there is more than enough publicly owned land available to help address our housing backlog and desegregate our city.
Cape Town is an apartheid city
... the enduring legacy of colonialism apartheid, combined with a highly exclusive property market means that Cape Town is perhaps the most racially segregated city anywhere on earth.
At least 365,000 families are on the housing waiting list in Cape Town with many more people being forced to live in unsafe, inadequate homes that are far from schools, hospitals, jobs and other crucial services. At the same time, the enduring legacy of colonialism apartheid, combined with a highly exclusive property market means that Cape Town is perhaps the most racially segregated city anywhere on earth. Explore how Cape Town is segregated by race, income and language here.
Many families live in a 40m² house, situated 40km from work, and with transport costing up to 40% of their household income. Our housing crisis is getting worse every year, and the easiest way to fight it is to use public land for the public good!
Public land is the best tool we have to make Cape Town more just
Number of families on the housing waiting list
Public land is publicly owned - this means it belongs to all of us. The role of the government is to use this land in the best interest of the people. However, there has been a failure to use public land in an equitable, efficient or sustainable manner. All three spheres of government own considerable land in Cape Town, but none of them are properly maximising its true potential to transform the city.
Public land is publicly owned - this means it belongs to all of us. The role of the government is to use this land in the best interest of the people.
For instance, a joint civil society submission to the presidency, building on decades of activism from a diverse range of groups, has demonstrated that up to 67,000 homes could be built on the nationally owned Ysterplaat, Wingfield and Youngsfield Military Bases alone.
Take a look and make up your own mind about whether the state at all levels is doing enough with its well-located public land to transform Cape Town into a more just and equal city for all.