Cissie Gool House

Cissie Gool House formerly known as Old Woodstock Hospital was named after struggle stalwart Cissie Gool. After the AKH occupation, our comrades in Woodstock and Salt River areas were facing evictions due to gentrification. In 2007, the City declared Woodstock as an Urban Development Zone area, this meant developers could get a tax break for building in the area. Private property developers wanted to reap profits and so this drove more developers to construct in the area thus leading to exorbitant rental increase and/or buying properties where we used to live. 

Cissie Gool House accommodates close to 900 people who would have otherwise been evicted and displaced into the peripheries like Wolwerivier, a relocation camp situated 30km away from the inner city. 

We call for social and affordable housing in well-located areas like Woodstock. We call on the City to develop all 11 sites earmarked for housing that is affordable in perpetuity. We call on the City of Cape Town to adopt our occupation as a co-operation that proves to work. Our house leaders and floor monitors work tirelessly to maintain the building as it is an alternative housing for evictees.