Many people living in working class communities have been forced to rent, move far away from home, or be backyard dwellers. Cape Town 3-8-2021 Cape Town 3-8-2021 A Hanover Park woman is concerned that a strong wind or a rainy day might cause her wendy house to fall on top of her and is demanding help from the company that sold it to her. pic supplied pic supplied After decades of waiting for a proper home, senior citizens in Ravensmead, the Cape Flats, and Bellville feel increasingly forgotten by the system.
Many have been relegated to living in cramped backyard structures, their hopes for stable housing dashed as their applications languish unresolved. The province’s housing backlog has been a pressing issue for years, leaving countless residents to grapple with the harsh realities of renting, relocating far from their families, or enduring substandard living conditions. For the elderly, these prolonged delays have inflicted a heavy toll—physically, emotionally, and financially—casting a shadow over their golden years and raising urgent questions about the state of housing justice in the region.
Urban land researcher, Michael Clarke, from the Development Action Group (DAG), confirmed that many people have waited decades for state-subsidised housing. He said a lack of transparency in housing lists makes it unclear how effectively the system prioritises those who have waited the longest. “Because of this, there is very little confidence and trust from the public in the allocation process,” Clarke said.
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“Many people have been waiting for years, and sometimes even decades, without any clarity.” He added that the scale of state-subsidised housing delivery is simply not sufficient. “The number of houses being built has been decreasing year on year.
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