Cape Town - A group of homeless people occupying a field in Baxter Street, Durbanville, has been given until the end of today to vacate the space after occupying it for more than two years.
This comes after the Western Cape High Court granted the City an eviction order when the occupiers refused social assistance.
The City has inspected the area more than 39 times since January and numerous clean-ups of the field had been conducted by community organisations, churches and residents.
CM Homeless Consultant and Homeless Solutions founder Carlos Mesquita said most of the occupiers were chronically homeless, adults, and independent.
Mesquita said by putting them in a shelter or safe space, which was temporary accommodation, it took away the opportunity to earn a living because of the times one was expected to come in and out of a shelter.
Mesquita said job opportunities that were offered at shelters and safe spaces were short-term employment projects of three months. He said these people were usually in communities, and moving them from them took away the sense of community.
Of utmost concern, Mesquita said, was the length of stay at these temporary shelters, which he said was three to six months, whereafter the homeless would return to the streets without any further assistance.
“I am, however, pleased to hear that the City’s department of social development is bringing a more comprehensive safe space or a transitional safe space. But I’m hoping that they conduct research and also speak to people that are on the streets, as well as those that have left the street to understand what is meant by and what is the requirement of a homeless person when they say they don’t want to go to a shelter, they want to live in independent living space.”
The City would act in accordance with the terms of the eviction order granted by the high court.
“As provided by the order, should the respondents fail to vacate the property by the 6th (of January), the sheriff is authorised to eject them from the property by no earlier than January 10,” it said.
The City confirmed that the court order was served on the illegal occupants by the sheriff of the high court.