Shelters scramble as heavy rain continues

People living in makeshift shelters outside the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town have been cold and wet this week. The site is owned by the Department of Public Works. Photos: Matthew Hirsch / Groundup

• Most shelters in Cape Town are scrambling to make more space this week.
  
• This comes as strong winds and rain continue to cause severe flooding and damage to properties.
  
• There has been a spike in the number of people seeking assistance and a warm place to sleep.
  
• U-turn Homeless Ministries’ safe space in Claremont is among the shelter’s with stretched capacity, accommodating 35 people on Wednesday to over 60 by Thursday afternoon.
  
• On Tuesday, The Haven had about 150 beds still available at their 14 shelters, with additional people expected at the shelters as the rain continues.

Services at shelters for homeless people across Cape Town have been stretched as strong winds and heavy rains lashed the city this week.

On Thursday, many shelters were scrambling to make more space as the number of people seeking assistance and a warm place to sleep spiked. Some shelters were also dealing with flooding, such as The Haven’s shelters in Kensington, Kalk Bay, and Retreat.

Patricia van der Ross, Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, said its safe space facilities will allow people to stay inside during the day during heavy downpours.

“We never anticipated the storm to be this devastating,” said The Haven Night Shelter CEO Shadrick Valayadum. “Kalk Bay flooded twice. Our clients are already vulnerable. They’re already destitute. What was phenomenal was that they all got together to get the water out,” he said.

At the Kensington shelter, several areas were still waterlogged when GroundUp visited on Thursday afternoon. Makeshift barriers of towels and blankets were placed down on the ground to keep the water out.

“We are going to have to create more space and accommodate more people. It’s a desperate time,” Valayadum added.

He said that the Haven shelters have since adjusted their rules this winter to allow people to stay at the facility during the day. “There’s no work. Companies are taking strain. There are programmes in place (at the shelter). You’ve got to keep the guys occupied,” he said.

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Genevieve Botha said she has been living on the streets near the city centre for seven months after she could no longer pay her rent. “It was like hell. When it started to hail, I felt it on my head. I was soaking wet. The wind could have blown us away,” she said. “Surviving on the streets is very tough and very dangerous.”

She then moved to the shelter in Kensington on Wednesday.

Ashraf Adams was homeless for three months before moving into the shelter earlier this year. “Living outside … you always have to fight a lot of battles. It’s been a lot of help being in the shelter.

“To be homeless is not a shame. It’s just a situation that you’re going through. Every life has a season,” said Adams.

On Tuesday, GroundUp reported that U-turn Homeless Ministries had opened up temporary shelters in Kenilworth. U-turn’s safe space in Claremont was also stretched to capacity, accommodating 35 people on Wednesday to over 60 by Thursday afternoon.

Stephen Underwood, spokesperson at U-Turn, said, “This storm is unusually bad. In winter we always get more clients coming through but not in the numbers we’re seeing now. I think most of the shelters are in a similar boat.”

The Haven’s night shelter in Kensington was flooded this week.

He added that U-turn advocated for more smaller shelters in areas where they were needed. “We want them [homeless people] to stay during the day and night because that’s where we can build a relationship,” he said.

Meanwhile, outside the Castle of Good Hope in the city centre, people living in makeshift structures were collecting recycling material to better shield themselves from inclement weather.

Edward Louw has lived on the streets for several years. “Everything was wet, soaking wet ... God is good, he will bring sunshine,” he said.

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He said he would like the government to make use of empty buildings in town as shelters and employ more social workers.

In a media statement on Thursday afternoon, the provincial government said 44,000 meals were distributed, with the help of non-government organisations since Monday.

“Members of the public are urged to continue donating non-perishable food items, blankets, toiletries, and other essentials. 6,928 structures across Cape Town have been affected, impacting over 8,000 people,” the statement read.

A warning for damaging winds is in place for Friday between Lambert’s Bay and Mossel Bay, as well as over the southern parts of Namakwa (in the Northern Cape), the Cape Town Metro, Cape Winelands, Central Karoo, Overberg and western areas of the Garden Route.

This article was originally published on GroundUp.

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