The housing crisis in Cape Town is about more than simply building houses — it is also about where people can afford to live, how close they are to jobs and whether the city has enough
affordable rental stock to keep up with demand. Today, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the City wants to use its Township Development Fund to support small-scale developers who
are already building rental accommodation in informal settlements. The idea is to help these developments become safer, legal and properly connected to municipal services, including sewerage.
The announcement comes as the city grapples with rapid population growth and growing pressure on housing and infrastructure. The City says there is a pipeline of more than 14,000 affordable
housing units on land being released or packaged for development, while it estimates that around 70% of future housing demand will fall within the affordable bracket. So, can supporting township-based and micro-developers help address the housing shortage — and crucially, can it create
housing that working-class Capetonians can actually afford, in areas where they can access jobs and transport? And what happens to people already living in informal settlements while these
longer-term developments are being planned?

The housing crisis in Cape Town is about more than simply building&nbsp;houses &mdash; it is also about where people can afford to live, how&nbsp;close they are to jobs and whether the city has enough affordable rental stock to keep up with demand. Today, Cape&nbsp;Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the City wants to use its&nbsp;Township Development Fund to support small-scale developers who are already building rental accommodation in informal settlements.&nbsp;The idea is to help these developments become safer, legal and&nbsp;properly connected to municipal services, including sewerage. The announcement comes as the city grapples with rapid population&nbsp;growth and growing pressure on housing and infrastructure. The&nbsp;City says there is a pipeline of more than 14,000 affordable housing units on land being released or packaged for&nbsp;development, while it estimates that around 70% of future housing&nbsp;demand will fall within the affordable bracket.&nbsp;So, can supporting township-based and micro-developers help&nbsp;address the housing shortage &mdash; and crucially, can it create housing that working-class Capetonians can actually afford, in&nbsp;areas where they can access jobs and transport? And what&nbsp;happens to people already living in informal settlements while these longer-term developments are being planned?

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope