First multi storey social rental housing in the City of Cape Town, South Africa
This project in Langa, Cape Town became part of the N2 Gateway Project after completion of the concept plans. It consists of 705 social rental units. The design is organised around a system of public spaces that link the development into the existing built fabric of Langa. The public spaces are therefore purposefully located at the edges of the site rather than within to become focal points for the broader area.
Being so well located close to amenities and public transport, no formal parking is catered for. Rather the intention is to promote public transport. The place is intended to be a starting point for people moving to the city to find work. Once residents can afford it, the intention is for them to move on, giving the opportunity to others to find their feet in the city.The project was commissioned by the National Minister of Housing. It was initially intended to comprise approximately 3600 rental units in multi-storey high density low rise apartments and 200 rent-to-buy single residential units.
Due to the need to provide subsidy ownership units on the balance of the Joe Slovo project, the further development of social housing units were abandoned. This was partially due to the fact that the social housing subsidy policy and organisational implementing structures was still in development at the time of construction of these units. As such this was a ground breaking project.
