Currently many of the homeless in Muizenburg to simonstown are from Lavender Hill ocean view Capricorn and surrounds and conversations wirh some of them reveal they seek safety from Gangs in Lavender HIll and surrounds. But also from Mitchels plain Heideveld and so on . Poverty and gangs is not the only reason though. There are also other reasons, which are spoken about, more personal reasons, such as unable to afford accomodation, family estrangement, most of which stem poverty and its results.
Partly because of the Metro Law Enforcement of moving on policy Homeless are always migrating and often round in circle around the peninsula (Simonstown/ Fish Hoek) but also to try and make living buy and selling scrap or clothes of all kind and selling to scrap yards or clothes to township folk. A good sign is that in these Moving ons, Social services of City of Capetown/Dept of social devpt. have recently in some case brought field workers to offer those that want to go to shelter help.
However people report that that the letter of introduction to shelters is sometimes ineffective as the shelter is full when they go. Also people do not want to be moved to shelters far afield which is usually then offerred by shelters, as when ( in the case of most shelters) they are required to go out in daytime, people are not around their known local community. It is essential that this communication between shelters and soclal dept /social services will improve. Most difficlt is that 6 months temporary stay offerred does not give enough opportunity to get work esp for those with little education in a climate where work is scarce as well. One also understands shelters point of view , as they cannot exclude others continually in long term ..when so many more on streets need shelters than beds are available, some shelters social workers offer loinger temr personal development plans but it seem this might be quite rare though more researchi is needed ( and welcome )
this is of course against the background that in some case specific reasons make people fear shelter
Partly because of the Metro Law Enforcement of moving on policy Homeless are always migrating and often round in circle around the peninsula (Simonstown/ Fish Hoek) but also to try and make living buy and selling scrap or clothes of all kind and selling to scrap yards or clothes to township folk. A good sign is that in these Moving ons, Social services of City of Capetown/Dept of social devpt. have recently in some case brought field workers to offer those that want to go to shelter help.
However people report that that the letter of introduction to shelters is sometimes ineffective as the shelter is full when they go. Also people do not want to be moved to shelters far afield which is usually then offerred by shelters, as when ( in the case of most shelters) they are required to go out in daytime, people are not around their known local community. It is essential that this communication between shelters and soclal dept /social services will improve. Most difficlt is that 6 months temporary stay offerred does not give enough opportunity to get work esp for those with little education in a climate where work is scarce as well. One also understands shelters point of view , as they cannot exclude others continually in long term ..when so many more on streets need shelters than beds are available, some shelters social workers offer loinger temr personal development plans but it seem this might be quite rare though more researchi is needed ( and welcome )
this is of course against the background that in some case specific reasons make people fear shelter