Cape Town expands Kensington night shelter to 200 beds
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Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis opened the upgraded Haven night shelter in Kensington on 15 October, lifting capacity from 80 to 200 beds as the city's shelter network passes 1,300 beds.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis officially launched the upgraded night shelter in Kensington on 15 October 2026. The expansion increased the number of beds at the facility from 80 to 200, a 150% increase.
The shelter is operated by Haven Night Shelter, while the City of Cape Town owns and maintains the facility. Councillor Francine Higham, the mayoral committee member for community services and health, joined the mayor at the launch.
Alongside the additional accommodation, the project included improvements to the shelter's kitchen and bathroom facilities, as well as work on flooring, painting and fire safety measures.
The Kensington project follows other expansions at Haven-operated shelters in the city. In Retreat, the City is funding an expansion that will triple the facility's capacity to almost 300 beds, while the Haven shelter in the central business district has grown by 63%, from 96 to 156 beds. The City said its shelter network has grown to more than 1,300 beds during the current term, with about 640 beds added, including 340 at new Safe Spaces in Green Point and Durbanville.
Cape Town has allocated R100 million in the current financial year towards its efforts to address homelessness, of which R87 million goes to operating its four Safe Spaces, outreach initiatives, annual winter assistance to NGO shelters and work opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme. The City plans to invest a further R62 million in shelter expansion projects over the next three years.