U-Turn, an NGO focusing on helping homeless people, has welcomed the City of Cape Town’s intention to build a new shelter in Muizenberg but said that putting people in safe spaces was not enough.
The city on Monday announced it would fund a sixth safe space shelter with a donation of R4 million from the mayoral fund.
A private donor is set to match the city’s donation, which will enable the facility to be operated by U-Turn for an initial three months.
U-Turn CEO Jean-Ray Fitt has welcomed the city’s approach to offer homeless people temporary accommodation at safe space shelters.
“That’s a much better alternative than being shunted from one place to the next without any hope of getting back on your feet.”
However, Fitt said that simply increasing shelter bed space would not solve the problem.
“Shelter beds are not enough. A homeless person needs a proper recovery journey and unless you can help a person overcome their addiction, their trauma, to develop a healthy support network and then become employable and employed, you actually not going to break the cycle of homelessness.”
Fitt said that besides offering shelter beds, the city should also increase resources on rehabilitation programmes for the homeless.
-EWN
In other news – Touching: Makhadzi borrowed money to attend the BET Awards
Well-known South African singer and performer, Makhadzi revealed she loaned money to attend the 19th annual BET Hip-Hop Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, California.
The Limpopo-born singer won the Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act award, beating fellow South African Tyler ICU and global artists. Ahead of the awards show, Makhadzi shared a prayer during her sit down on Podcast and Chill, where she revealed she borrowed money to pay for the travel expenses. Read More
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