Private sector developers are to get access to land the size of 10 football fields to build affordable homes for thousands of families within 5km of central Cape Town.
The five parcels of council-owned land were unveiled yesterday by Brett Herron, the City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for transport and urban development.
They are:
A 3.3ha site in Pickwick Road, Salt River;
The 1.84ha Woodstock Hospital site;
Woodstock Hospital Park;
A 0.84ha site in New Market Street, Woodstock; and
A 0.27ha site in Canterbury Street in the city.
Herron said the launch of large-scale affordable housing on council-owned land was a momentous occasion.
"Building inclusive communities through reversing the spatial legacy of apartheid is a key priority of this government," he said.
The development sites are in the Voortrekker Road corridor, one of three "integration zones" destined for investment to "transform Cape Town's spatial reality".
Said Herron: "By prioritising dense, transit-oriented growth and development in this integration zone the city seeks to create more inclusive communities with access to job opportunities, affordable housing and public transport.
"We estimate the developments will benefit at least 4000 lower-income households."
Another three sites have been allocated to social housing institutions and two earmarked for Cape Town's first inner-city housing project.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said the criteria developers would have to meet would be innovation and design, green technology and long-term financial sustainability.
"We are looking for sustainable, integrated solutions for human settlements ," she said.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
