Old Woodstock Hospital's 850 occupants concerned they will be left homeless
Woodstock Hospital which was renamed Cissie Gool House after being occupied in 2017 is set to be redeveloped to accommodate five hundred social housing units.
The old Woodstock Hospital in Cape Town also known as Cissie Gool house. Picture: Kaylynn Palm/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - Eight hundred and fifty people living at the old Woodstock Hospital are concerned they will be left homeless if the city goes ahead with plans to redevelop the site.
Woodstock Hospital which was renamed Cissie Gool House after being occupied in 2017 is set to be redeveloped to accommodate five hundred social housing units.
The occupants fear they won't meet the city's requirements to reside at the site once it's been redeveloped for social housing.
Reclaim the City and the Woodstock Residents' Association have called on the city to meaningfully engage with the occupants, Woodstock residents and civil society.
READ: Reclaim the City calls for collective effort to address apartheid spatial planning in CT
Reclaim the City leader and Cissie Gool House occupant Karen Hendricks said the city should have collaborated with the occupants before going ahead with its plans.
"We think this public participation process is such a flawed and box-ticking process because the city are saying that they will only engage with the occupiers after the public participation process."
The city has yet to issue a response while the public comment period on the proposed sale of the site closes on the 31st of January.
The occupants fear they won't meet the city's requirements to reside at the site once it's been redeveloped for social housing.
Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim said the city will be engaging with the occupants after taking stock of the public comment period which ends on 31 January.
READ: Housing activists urge CoCT to start construction on land allocated for social housing
"The city has been clear about the intention to garner meaningful, feasible and constructive written input on the proposed vision for this site, which includes the development of affordable housing opportunities for qualified residents."
Hendricks said the city's entire process is flawed.
"Meaningful engagement should have been the first thing before embarking or starting the public participation process."
Pophaim said all feasible options will be assessed during the four-month-long public participation process.