The success of a work-based project on Long Street to uplift its homeless community has inspired the establishment of a similar initiative in the Cape Town Central City’s East City.
“Make Long Street Better”, a project by Long Street Associates in conjunction with the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) and the Streetscapes programme run by Khulisa Social Solutions, is a rehabilitation programme aimed at providing known homeless individuals in Long Street with work and the means to earn a living.
Since the project’s launch in April, several Long Street businesses have come on board to support the project financially, with over R100 000 being raised.
At least five “Make Long Street Better” participants, who include the chronic homeless and repeat offenders, provide cleaning services identified jointly with retailers and restaurant-owners on Long Street and the CCID Urban Management team. They are supervised by social workers.
They start at one end of Long Street (Turkish Baths and Strand Street) and work in shifts which include one-on-one sessions with coaches and social workers. Since the launch of the project, there has been a marked decrease in the level of aggressive begging in the area.
EAST CITY REVIVAL PROJECT
The success of “Make Long Street Better” has prompted business owners in the East City to follow suit and launch the “East City Revival Project” in September, in conjunction with the CCID and Streetscapes. In the East City, two project participants are responsible for the upkeep of a derelict parking area which had also become prone to illegal dumping.
As the world focused on homelessness and the plight of the homeless following World Homeless Day on 10 October, these two projects in the Cape Town CBD are examples of how communities can successfully engage with people living on the street and find solutions to remedy the situation.
Says CCID’s Social Development Manager Pat Eddy: “We are very heartened by how this project is progressing and it goes to show that needs to be a more coordinated approach when dealing with social issues. What’s also encouraging is that it’s opening conversations about how we can give people agency and a sense of belonging.”
Pat says there has been a shift in how the homeless are perceived in the area since the launch of “Make Long Street Better”. “People in the area are now seeing the participants on the project as human beings, they’re starting to relate to them on a personal level and are trying to understand their stories and I think this is also what World Homeless Day is about; seeing people’s humanity. And business certainly has a role to play as well.”
MAKING DIFFERENCE
Well-known Long Street businessman Ed Saunders, who has been involved in the Long Street project from its inception, says businesses had noticed “a big difference” since the inception of the project. “The biggest challenge is getting the homeless to commit on a regular basis, but the project is definitely making a difference in their lives. This, in turn, is helping Long Street become a destination for visitors to enjoy.”
Ed says it’s important to find adequate funding to make a project of this nature sustainable. To date, “Make Long Street Better” had 25 partners who had raised over R100 000, with the possibility of 20 more coming on board in the near future. “I had a meeting with another possible 20 partners yesterday who I am sure will come on board this month,” Ed confirms.
He believes people should be proactive and “make a difference instead of moaning to the City or the authorities all the time”.
Jesse Laitinen, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Khulisa Social Solutions, one of the CCID’s partner NGOs, says street people are often marginalised and seen as a “problem”. However, by providing them with work opportunities allowed them to be accountable and better able to take charge of their lives.
“Make Long Street Better” participants are also given additional training so they’re able to provide a more professional service. In August, the CCID’s Social Development department teamed up with J&M Cleaning Services to train participants in window cleaning after businesses in the area indicated a need for the service.
EMPOWERING THE EAST CITY COMMUNITY
In the East City, the key driver of the project, is Janette de Villiers, co-owner of The Electric. She also has the support of local businessman, Guy Wood from The Firm. Janette will fund the project for six months and is mobilising other East City business owners to support the project and make it sustainable.
Says Janette: “Having spent two years in the area, and getting to know the dynamics between businesses and the homeless, most of whom have spent their entire lives here, I felt compelled to find a sustainable and conscious solution to the problems of our neighbourhood.”
Janette says individuals and business owners have an “obligation to empower and uplift the community”. She believes the collaboration between the CCID, Streetscapes and be “a blueprint for a new way of engagement,” says Janette.
While the “East City Project” has been in operation for less than a month, there is already an improvement. “Already, I have seen such a massive difference in our participants, not to mention the tidiness of the parking lot. I can only imagine this project going from strength to strength,” says Janette.
- GET INVOLVED Business owners in both Long Street and the East City can help by contributing R500 per month, directly to Streetscapes every month. And every rand invested will go towards uplifting vulnerable individuals.
IMAGES: CCID