The Western Cape government is planning to develop its Founders Garden site, in Cape Town, into an integrated high-rise, residentially-led, mixed-use development in the form of a rental scheme, which aims to maximise the provision of social and affordable rental housing, while also providing open market rental units.

The government has therefore called on prospective developers, social housing institutions and funders to give input into the development objectives and project design.

Those wishing to provide input on the project are requested to download and complete a questionnaire accessible at https://gbcsa.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e733afa34a08ddd55db0c90cb&id=736a3a9f65&e=4457be29ad. This questionnaire must be submitted to monique.africa2@westerncape.gov.za before 16:00 on Friday, June 26.

The garden site is located on the Foreshore of Cape Town adjacent to the Artscape Theatre Complex.

The maximum proportion of social and affordable rental units to open market rental units will be determined by financial feasibility in due course, the provincial government noted.

It intends going to market to procure a developer for this opportunity by way of a request for proposals.

The project aims to respond to impacts of Apartheid spatial planning and fill the deficit in affordable accommodation in the city, where demand far outstrips supply.

Affordability in this context refers to the provincial government’s stated objective that this project should assist in undoing the legacy of Apartheid and address the inner-city housing backlog.

The objective is to do this by providing, in addition to social housing units, residential units that will provide accommodation targeted at households currently earnings a monthly income above the threshold for social housing but less than R40 000.

It is envisaged that the affordability of these affordable housing units will be entrenched in the development by regulating the maximum residential unit size of the majority of the affordable housing units to no more than 45 m².

Moreover, in this context, the term 'open market' refers to rental units that are targeted at households currently earning a monthly income of more than R40 000. These units may be larger than 45 m² but may not exceed 60 m².