Cape Town affordable housing provider defends evictions amid claims it places profit over people

Parliamentarians have accused an affordable housing provider in Cape Town of not caring about the people it serves. Communicare has been in legal disputes with tenants for years, fighting to evict those who have failed to honour their leases. The company defended its actions, saying the vast majority of its tenants were satisfied, but that its business was not a “bottomless charity”.

Communicare CEO Anthea Houston, on Thursday, gave a presentation to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements outlining the state of the company’s operations. Houston noted that the company had been in and out of court since 2020 while government officials concluded their investigation intoCommunicare. The investigation stemmed from complaints from tenants about an alleged illegal eviction process.

The company is facing its second dispute with the government after the first stalled due to a lack of evidence. Houston urged the department to secure alternative housing for delinquent tenants or identify sponsors for tenants with no income. The CEO explained that Communicare has just over 3 400 units, and although between 95% and 98% of leasees were up to date, debts averaged R35 million annually.

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She said 301 households were in various stages of handover and that 112 of those were facing imminent eviction, with a further 38 eviction orders pending execution. Of the 140 where eviction was a probable outcome, 112 households had minors or older persons. Human Settlements minister Thembi Simelane explained that there had been engagements with the city and the provincial government, but that provincial authorities declared they would wait for the court outcomes before acting.

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