A 970-unit affordable housing development in Salt River, Cape Town, has become a contentious issue in the lead-up to the local government elections. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis used the Salt River Market site to launch his housing plan for another term as Cape Town mayor on September 21, 2026. The site was handed over to Communicare three months prior, on June 8, 2026, with plans to deliver 300 social-housing rental apartments and 670 affordable-market units close to Cape Town’s CBD.
GOOD mayoral candidate Brett Herron accused the DA of using a long-delayed housing project as a campaign backdrop. Herron claimed the site had been earmarked for social housing nearly two decades ago, in 2008. He stated that in October 2018, he took a recommendation to council to sell the land to Communicare at a discounted price for social and affordable housing. However, the recommendation was referred back, and the City announced in August 2019 that the site would be released after rezoning.
According to Herron, the City said construction was expected to start in July 2024, but the project remained unbuilt when Hill-Lewis officially handed the property to Communicare on June 8, 2026. Herron argued that Monday’s return to the site amounted to another announcement rather than housing delivery. He stated that the Salt River Market site was not an example of the DA’s commitment to inner-city affordable housing.
Hill-Lewis used the launch to set out the DA’s housing plans should it retain control of the City after the local government elections. These plans include releasing more City-owned land for affordable housing, expanding affordable rentals through partnerships with private and social-housing developers, upgrading informal settlements, and increasing taxes on commercial short-term rentals.
Hill-Lewis claimed that 12 401 state-subsidised homes had been handed over in Cape Town during the past five financial years, more than Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni combined. He stated that the future of affordable housing lies in making public land available faster, cutting unnecessary delays, and working with credible private and social-housing partners to build at scale.
The Mayor emphasized that the goal is to enable more Capetonians to live closer to opportunity and for more families to have the security and dignity that comes with a place to call home. The development is planned to deliver much-needed affordable housing close to Cape Town’s CBD, addressing the city's housing needs.
The controversy surrounding the Salt River housing project highlights the challenges and delays in delivering affordable housing in Cape Town. Both parties have presented their visions for addressing the city's housing needs, with the DA focusing on releasing public land and partnering with private developers, and GOOD emphasizing the need for tangible delivery rather than campaign announcements.
Key points
- The 970-unit Salt River housing project has become an election flashpoint in Cape Town.
- Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and GOOD mayoral candidate Brett Herron have traded accusations over the project.
- The project aims to deliver 300 social-housing rental apartments and 670 affordable-market units close to Cape Town’s CBD.
