Shelters across SA battling to get handle on homelessness crisis

JOHANNESBURG - Shelters in several parts of the country say they are battling to get a handle on the homelessness crisis amid growing calls for a sustainable solution to the national issue.

According to Stats SA's 2022 profile of homeless people in South Africa, there are more than 50,000 people without a roof over their heads, with about 20% of them at shelters.

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Some of the shelters in and around Johannesburg said they were forced to turn homeless people away as they battled capacity constraints and financial challenges.

The shelters face a sharp increase in the number of people seeking refuge from the cold.

While they say aid for the winter months helps to shoulder the burden, they have appealed for year-round support to help address ongoing challenges.

Wedged in the heart of Johannesburg's inner city is the MES shelter, which provides daily meals and bedspace for over 100 people.

But just outside its Hillbrow premises, dozens more unhoused people gather, braving the elements.

Branch manager at MES’ Joburg wing, Reverend Nicodemus Setshedi said that while winter donations were welcomed, long-term support was critical.

"So that's why I say it's not an event. It's a continuous thing. And for us again, there is life beyond winter. The homelessness challenge is not going to be resolved because we received blankets, food and so on. There is still life beyond that."

Setshedi said that the organisation's goal was not only to shelter people, but to help reintegrate them into society with dignity and support.

MES also operates shelters in Cape Town and Gqeberha, which has similar challenges.