Beneficiaries move into Hangberg’s ‘Texas’

Joleen September from Hangberg receiving the keys to her new home in Sea View from mayor, Patricia de Lille.

The last four units of the City of Cape Town’s R30 million Sea View housing development were handed over to the new owners by mayor Patricia de Lille on Wednesday June 15.

The housing development, known to Hangberg residents as “Texas”, is now home to 71 families.

And the handover was done just in time as the winter cold and rain is upon Cape Town.

The first 26 beneficiaries moved in on December 8 last year, (“Houses for Hangberg,” Sentinel, December 11 2015) while 45 more made the development their home, last week.

Ms De Lille said Sea View was a historic milestone and one of the goals the City had set out to achieve at the beginning of administration in 2011.

At the time, the Hangberg area had been identified as an area in great need of development and redress in the City’s Integrated Development Plan.

After years of strained relationships and a complete breakdown of trust between Hangberg and government, the Hangberg Peace Accord was signed and the Hangberg Peace and Mediation Forum (PMF) were established.

This followed violent clashes between Hangberg residents and law enforcement in 2010, when residents protested over the slow pace of housing delivery and settled on the fire break on the Sentinel before the police and the City’s land invasion unit forcibly re-moved them.

Since then, there have been monthly engagements between the City, the provincial government and the PMF.

“Today we have delivered on that commitment and the promise we made to the people of Hangberg,” Ms De Lille said.

“Sea View is a transit-oriented development because it is located close to public transport, employment opportunities as well as schools.

“I share in the joy of each and every one of the last 45 beneficiaries who have moved into their homes during the last week,” she said.

Many of the Sea View residents now have addresses for the very first time.

Joleen September, 42, an aftercare teacher from Hout Bay, moved into Sea View last week from her single-room wendy house.

She is extremely excited about the fact that at 42 years old, she finally has her own bathroom with warm running water in her two-bedroom flat.

Some of the residents who moved in last week had been on the housing database since 1997.