CAPE TOWN BECOMES NEWEST VANGUARD CITY TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS
U-turn Homeless Ministries welcomes the City of Cape Town’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH), officially joining the global Vanguard Cities Network – a group of cities globally committed to making measurable progress in ending street homelessness.
The agreement, signed by the Geordin Hill-Lewis (Executive Mayor), Francine Higham (Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health), Zukiswa Mandlana (Executive Director of the Community Services and Health Directorate) and Julia Wager (Acting CEO, IGH) during the National Homeless Conversation held in Cape Town this week, includes a commitment to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2030, using a planned point-in-time count in 2026 as the baseline year. This will be achieved by focusing on four key areas:
- Prevention – Developing strategies to stop rough sleeping before it starts, including support for those leaving care institutions, prisons, and hospitals.
- Developmental Services – Expanding outreach services, accommodation options, day centres, and increasing supportive work opportunities through placements.
- Data and Measurement – Establishing citywide enumeration and data systems to measure progress and inform policy.
- Collaboration – Strengthening partnerships between spheres of government, non-profits, and people with lived experience of homelessness.
These goals were developed collaboratively with input from many partners including Streetscapes, The Haven, MES, Oasis, VRCID, CCID, U-turn and the City of Cape Town – especially the Community Services and Health Directorate. Achievement of these ambitious goals will require a shared commitment between government, non-profit organisations, businesses, and residents – both those who are housed and those who are rough sleeping – working together to address one of Cape Town’s most pressing social challenges.
By signing this agreement, Cape Town joins an international network of cities – including Chicago, Adelaide, Sao Paulo and Pretoria – to share data, research, and proven strategies for reducing homelessness. IGH will provide technical assistance and connect the City of Cape Town and Non-Profit Partners to its global community of practitioners and researchers.
U-turn’s Chief Business Development Officer, Jon Hopkins, expressed strong support for the partnership, saying:
“This is a significant step forward. The Vanguard commitment gives Cape Town clear, collective goals to aim for and access to a global network providing support and sharing best practice. But more than that, it reminds us that reducing homelessness requires deep collaboration. We must ensure this agreement becomes more than just a piece of paper. It’s a call to action for all of us.”
U-turn, which has long championed developmental and evidence-based responses to homelessness, sees this as an opportunity to deepen collaboration and accountability across the sector and work together on scaling activities that will effectively and sustainably reduce homelessness in Cape Town over the coming years.
About U-turn
U-turn Homeless Ministries is a Cape Town-based non-profit organisation that equips people and communities to overcome homelessness through rehabilitation, skills development, and sustainable employment. For more than two decades, U-turn has worked alongside government, churches, and civil society organisations to provide pathways out of homelessness and advocate for systemic solutions rooted in compassion, dignity, and evidence.
Media Enquiries:
Stephen Underwood
Communications Manager, U-turn Homeless Ministries
Email: stephen@homeless.org.za
Website: https://homeless.org.za
Notes to Editors
- The Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH), based at DePaul University (Chicago) leads a global movement to end street homelessness. https://ighomelessness.org/
- The Vanguard Cities Network includes cities that have committed to measurable reductions in homelessness and to sharing best practices across the globe. https://ighomelessness.org/vanguardnetwork/
