One might suggest that it is part of the lifecycle of all urban environments. Cape Town is no exception as it faces having to create what’s being termed “a Problematic Building’s Unit.”

The unit was formed last December to focus on and deal with derelict properties, which were contravening regulations, including those relating to fire and health.  This move is a partnership with the city's Human Settlements Department .The unit has now come up to speed with the city’s most severely affected buildings.

A by law was passed last year initially identifying 280 problem buildings. By half way through the year there remained 160 buildings under investigation throughout Cape Town - in the city centre, Mitchells Plain, Durbanville, Salt River and Camps Bay.

Cape Town also has a dedicated Social Housing Police Unit that is focusing specifically on city council rental properties.  There are approximately 49 000 council-owned units.

Problem buildings can generally be defined as properties that contravene national building regulations; are overcrowded or in an unacceptable state; are the subject of numerous complaints from the public; invaded by squatters; or pose a serious health or safety risk. The city council has advised owners to repair, demolish or sell these buildings so that action will not have to be taken.

Further action includes the City of Cape Town’s intention to publicly name and shame those owners, landlord and tenants who fail to comply with the Problem Building by-law. In addition the intention is to amend the by-law so as to make it illegal to even enter these premises. One can’t help but wonder what level of embarrassment exists for slum-lords and drug-lords.

It’s common knowledge that Johannesburg has had to fight this battle for some time. Initially the Better Building Programme was set up to restore derelict buildings and take back parts of the city in severe decay but the process proved laborious, taking as long as two years to get one building through litigation and judgment. Now transitional housing, BBP’s biggest stumbling block, will be provided to current residents of buildings that will be refurbished by the specially formed Transitional Housing Trust (THT) which will manage the process.

Now BBP has evolved into the Inner City Property Scheme (ICPS).  The City of Johannesburg has created a restoration solution, though driven by the private sector. A large portion of the City’s property portfolio will be transferred to the ICPS through a series of structured sale transactions. Participants in the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) transactions were selected through a Request for Proposal process, and are required to provide a minimum equity contribution of R 5 million. The city would ensure that the option to buy was exercised only once the dilapidated property had been refurbished. Time will tell of course how effective this is.

One can hope that the Cape Town City council will proactively approach the inevitable struggle of urban decay with BBBEE in mind, dealing with urban decay issues simultaneously, by learning from the hard painful process Jo’burg has ploughed through.  The key word that has emerged in Jo’burg has been ownership. This will be hard to impress upon the separate set of problems that come with those derelict building that are council owned. Admittedly the dynamics involved with council owned buildings is slightly different to the privately owned buildings.

Some examples of action taken by the Problematic Building’s Unit thus far:
Vrystaat Street, Paarden Eiland:  14, Fourth Street, Heathfield: The city served compliance notices on the owners, who then started demolishing and clearing the property. 17, Coleridge Road, Salt River: The city bricked and boarded up this derelict building.

The San Remo building in Camp Street, Gardens: This run-down residential block posed a problem for years and a number of drug raids were conducted on it. An inspection of the building with the city's fire and health departments was held in March. The building is set to go on auction this month.

The Langa hostels: In an attempt to improve the building, the city instituted court action against the owners. This action is currently pending. Number 13, Torrens Road, Ottery: The city served compliance notices on the owners, who have since sold the building.

Another characteristic of urban decay is the visual, psychological, and physical effects of living among empty lots, buildings and condemned houses. Such desolate properties are socially dangerous to the community because they attract criminals and street gangs, contributing to the volume of crime.

The world best urban restorations have occurred in cities where people take the streets through: firstly ownership – investment, shopping in ones own neighbourhood; secondly civic action- neighbourhood watch and thirdly social up-liftment- engagement with local rec centre programmes, etc.

But big business and local government are the players that have to plan ahead to construct a future and not sit back and respond with knee-jerk laws that ultimately only puts a Band-Aid on a more severe wound. Let’s hope that the Problematic Building’s Unit is not just a Band Aid but one of many steps in the right direction. Watch this space.