Covid-19: City steps up intervention to help displaced people
The City bused displaced people to the YMCA in Soweto for the lockdown period, however, when this became overcrowded, they were moved to recreational centres around the city.
The City of Joburg took a decision to bus displaced people to YMCA in Soweto.
This, after the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) communicated to the City that it’s availability to assist with housing displaced people on 27 March.
According to a statement by the City, “The City accepted this offer from the owner of YMCA as the shelters, 3 Kotze Overnight Shelter and Governors House Assessment Centre in Braamfontein, in particular, were oversubscribed as the call for the homeless to be directed/present themselves to shelters in the City filtered through the streets.”
The City took a decision to bus the displaced people to YMCA using the services of Metrobus (13 buses), escorted by JMPD. However, the number grew overnight as word spread that YMCA is accommodating displaced persons, increasing the numbers that were initially accounted for.
As these growing numbers were not anticipated, this resulted in the shortage of food and other supplies and posed a challenge to the provision of security on site.
The City then moved the displaced people from YMCA on 28 March to various recreational centres across the city. The City is working with the Provincial Department of Social Development to ensure that the displaced people are housed, fed and secured in the City’s facilities.
Communities are urged to support the City in its efforts to take care of displaced people during this lockdown period.
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