The City of Cape Town and Haven Night Shelter teamed up to expand shelter beds and helped more people off the streets in various parts of the metro. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis with Councillor Francine Higham visited the latest city-funded expansion of 120 beds at the Haven’s shelter in Retreat on World Homeless Day, on Oct 10, 2025.
Construction of the 120-bed expansion in Retreat has more than doubled capacity from 104 to 224 beds with the City of Cape Town contributing R12.7 million to enable this.
This retreat followed the expansion of the Haven’s CBD facility by 63% from 96 to 156 beds. Hundreds and more beds will be added by upcoming expansions to Haven shelters in Kensington and Wynberg as a result of the City and Haven partnership, with the Haven’s District-6 shelter that also set to expand thanks to grant-funding from the provincial Department of Social Development.
Considering this, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that these ongoing shelter expansions are part of Cape Town’s unique social developmental approach to help more people off the streets. There are simply no other cities in South Africa investing in shelter services to help people off the streets.
Lewis said that he was pleased to check out the completed 120-bed expansion to the Haven’s Retreat facility which offers a dignified shelter, with various social services to support people in their journey to get off the streets sustainably.
He said that by adding more shelter beds, they are helping people to choose social support, reintegration and even family reunification, over the undignified, unhealthy and unsafe conditions of life on the streets. They ensured that the public spaces are restored to public use as no one has the right to exclusively reserve these while rejecting all offers of social support indefinitely.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Health – Councillor Francine Higham said that the City of Cape Town has expanded Safe Space dignified shelter.
She said that city helps around 3,500 individuals with shelter placement in City-run Safe Spaces or NGO shelters, every year as referrals to an array of social services. The City of Cape Town further runs the Matrix substance abuse treatment programme, with an 83% success rate for clients, addressing a key driver of why people end up on the streets.
The City Safe Spaces has currently offered over 900 beds across the CBD, Bellville and Durbanville facilities, besides the partnership to expand Haven shelters. Together with the partner shelters, the total available beds across the network of care sites currently stands at 1,308.
Last year, they opened a new 300-bed Safe Space in Green Point and plans that are in progress for other shelter expansion plans around the metro in partnership with various NGOs, communities and stakeholders.