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Tshwane has 4,000 people living on its streets, study finds

In its first-ever survey on homeless people, the City of Tshwane counted those living on the streets to try to find lasting solutions to homelessness

Homeless men stand outside the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria, where hundreds of homeless people were moved in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 on March 31 2020.
Homeless men stand outside the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria, where hundreds of homeless people were moved in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 on March 31 2020.
Image: Sebabatso Mosamo/Sunday Times

The capital city has more than 4,000 homeless people, most being men aged under 44.

The City of Tshwane conducted its first survey to determine the number of homeless people across the municipality’s seven regions.

The survey counted 4,177 homeless people, with 3,408 of them taking part in the survey.

The study is a collaboration between the city, the University of Pretoria and the Tshwane Homelessness Forum, said MMC for community and social development services Peggy de Bruin.

Titled “Everyone counted, counts”, the study was supported by 385 volunteers, some of whom were at some stage homeless.

De Bruin said the research was endorsed and advised by the Bloomberg Associates from New York City and the Institute of Global Homelessness from DePaul University in Chicago, US.

“Findings suggest that the homeless population are relatively young people, with 48% of respondents being 34 years old and younger. In terms of gender, 87% were male and 13% female,” she said.

The homelessness figures have been conflicting in the past years. Then acting Gauteng MEC for social development Panyaza Lesufi said the province had 50,000 homeless people who had to be accommodated during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Non-profit organisation Africa Check, however, estimated that the country had 200,000 people who were homeless.

In Tshwane, 80% of respondents were aged 44 and younger — 72% aged between 25 and 44. Those aged between 25 and 34 years were at 39%, De Bruin said.

“Thirty-one [of the 3,408] respondents were under 18 years old ... Feedback from the research will assist the city and relevant stakeholders to identify and map out strategic interventions and budgets which are aligned to the concentration of homelessness across Tshwane,” she said.

The data collected will also be used to reflect on the current approach and methods to measure the impact of homelessness, Du Bruin said.

“The city has committed itself to find ways to end homelessness by forming part of a network of vanguard cities internationally, participating in the global network of the Institute of Global Homelessness Institute in Chicago. The network is used to learn and share good practices and implement lessons learnt to find ways to end homelessness.”

TimesLIVE

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