City calls for homeless shelters to apply for aid

According to a statement released by the City this week, the Social Development and Early Childhood Development directorate has more than doubled its budget for this year’s winter street people programme.

The budget has been increased from R280,000 in 2014 to just over R600,000 this year. The aid will be provided in the form of food, blankets, mattresses and toiletries. Additional bed spaces at various shelters across the Western Cape will also be funded by the provincial Department of Social Development.

The City’s mayoral committee member for Social Development, Suzette Little, urged organisations who qualify for the aid to submit the applications by 29 May.

“We are dedicating significant resources to ensuring that our street people are well cared for this winter, but I appeal to them to make use of the shelters and assistance that is available.

“I also want to renew my appeal to members of the public to rather make a tangible difference in the lives of street people by giving responsibly and supporting a local shelter or NGO, or giving a street person in their area a hand up instead of a hand-out as the latter simply perpetuates the cycle of dependence and aggressive begging,” she said.

Little said that applicants applying for aid must be registered as a non-governmental or non-profit organisations, must have overnight facilities and be health and safety compliant. Application forms are available online at http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/socialdevelop/Documents/Winter_Readiness_A….