Abandoned Swakop shelter gets N$8m makeover
The revamped Swakopmund Emergency Shelter, formerly known as the Erongo House of Safety, is set to be completed by January next year following the start of long-awaited renovation works earlier this year.
The upgrade is valued at approximately N$8 million.
The building’s restoration forms part of a broader plan to repurpose the site into a municipal emergency shelter.
The council resolved last year that the facility should serve as a rehabilitation centre for handling gender-based violence, substance abuse, homelessness and support for victims of domestic fires.
Previously, it functioned as a shelter for children, particularly those subjected to abuse or whose parents were involved in criminal cases.
Offering safety
The site was officially handed over to the contractor in March. The facility, initially inaugurated in 1998, has been abandoned for years and left to vandalism and decay.
According to Clarence McClune, general manager of engineering and planning services at the municipality, the project is earmarked for 10 months and includes reinstating a number of rooms for operational readiness.
Seven organisations have submitted formal proposals to manage the shelter once completed. The successful applicant will be offered a lease period of nine years and eleven months. The lessee will be responsible for full daily operations, including staffing, maintenance, security, and social support services.
McClune said it will be up to the future managers to determine the shelter’s layout and capacity – whether to provide dormitories for children, family rooms or other configurations based on need.
The upgrade is valued at approximately N$8 million.
The building’s restoration forms part of a broader plan to repurpose the site into a municipal emergency shelter.
The council resolved last year that the facility should serve as a rehabilitation centre for handling gender-based violence, substance abuse, homelessness and support for victims of domestic fires.
Previously, it functioned as a shelter for children, particularly those subjected to abuse or whose parents were involved in criminal cases.
Offering safety
The site was officially handed over to the contractor in March. The facility, initially inaugurated in 1998, has been abandoned for years and left to vandalism and decay.
According to Clarence McClune, general manager of engineering and planning services at the municipality, the project is earmarked for 10 months and includes reinstating a number of rooms for operational readiness.
Seven organisations have submitted formal proposals to manage the shelter once completed. The successful applicant will be offered a lease period of nine years and eleven months. The lessee will be responsible for full daily operations, including staffing, maintenance, security, and social support services.
McClune said it will be up to the future managers to determine the shelter’s layout and capacity – whether to provide dormitories for children, family rooms or other configurations based on need.
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