Approximately 80,000 people live in hostels and Community Residential Units (CRUs) within the eThekwini Municipality.
Image: File
Approximately 80,000 people live in hostels and Community Residential Units (CRUs) within the eThekwini Municipality.
"Hostels and CRUs are a key part of eThekwini’s human settlements landscape, housing a significant number of residents who contribute meaningfully to the social and economic life of the Municipality," says Gugu Sisilana, deputy head of marketing and communications at the eThekwini Municipality.
The City of Johannesburg recently told "Independent Media Property" that, according to the latest statistics from its Human Settlements Department, approximately 50,000 people currently live in hostels in the city.
Meanwhile, the City of Tshwane stated that its most recent survey shows around 16,000 people reside in hostels within that municipal area.
It added that, due to overcrowding, informal occupancy and household extensions, exact figures are fluid and are continuously updated through socio-economic surveys and audits.
Mamelodi hostels, in particular, were reported to accommodate larger numbers of residents.
Hostels are seen as having the potential to play a transformative role in advancing human settlements, serving as transitional housing solutions that can help alleviate urban overcrowding.
According to municipalities where these facilities exist, redeveloping them into mixed-use spaces that integrate residential, commercial and recreational facilities would support sustainable urban growth.
Hostels continue to play a critical role as entry-level accommodation for low-income households, job seekers and other vulnerable groups.
“eThekwini Municipality wishes to clarify that hostels are at different stages of development, with some being older structures, others having undergone refurbishment and several newly built as part of the City’s ongoing human settlements improvement programme,” says Sisilana.
The municipality adds that, over the past ten years, it has undertaken significant work to convert traditional hostel-style accommodation into Community Residential Units (CRUs), in line with a national directive. This initiative aims to modernise these living environments and integrate them more effectively into surrounding communities.
As with many large-scale human settlements programmes, there is a need for maintenance and upgrades in these facilities, says Sisilana.
She adds that the eThekwini Municipality is actively implementing measures to improve the sustainability of CRUs, including enhancing revenue collection, strengthening maintenance planning and working closely with residents to foster a collaborative approach to managing shared infrastructure.
“The City continues to address challenges related to high accommodation demand, population density and access control. Engagements with tenants remain ongoing to ensure solutions are implemented in a way that supports residents’ safety, dignity, and ease of movement,” Sisilana adds.
The City remains committed to improving service delivery in these areas and ensuring that all relevant government departments fulfil their statutory obligations.
To further strengthen its efforts, Sisilana adds that the eThekwini Municipality is in the process of standardising service delivery across all hostels and CRUs.
This includes reviewing departmental roles, enhancing coordination and establishing CRU committees aligned with ward committees to promote community participation, accountability and improved service delivery outcomes.
“The Municipality remains committed to supporting these communities through continuous improvement, sustainable planning, and the provision of essential human-settlements services,” she says.
The Municipality also emphasises its dedication to creating safe, well-managed, and sustainable living environments for all residents.
Independent Media Property