'The beds are soaked, the floors are soaked. Your clothing as well because there's nowhere to put your clothing -- it all gets wet. Everything's damp, cold,' said one resident of Safe Space One.

Residents of the Safe Space One shelter under the Culemborg Bridge on the Cape Town Foreshore say poor and degrading living conditions at the site are affecting the health and wellbeing of those who stay there.

These claims emerged against a backdrop of intense storms and harsh winds, which have battered the city for the past week. A Level 8 weather warning was issued for Thursday, 11 July, covering Cape Town and neighbouring regions.

Safe Space One is a transitional shelter established by the City of Cape Town to provide temporary accommodation for people who are living on the streets. It is managed by an external service provider, with the city providing an annual budget of R8,500,000 for the site. The shelter is located next to Safe Space Two, also under the Culemborg Bridge.

Safe Space Two has prefabricated buildings with solid walls and ceilings. However, residents of Safe Space One say the shelter there is more rudimentary.

Apart from the bridge about 15m up, the cover at Safe Space One consists of corrugated iron roofs on poles, with no walls, and beds lined alongside one another underneath. Some occupants have erected their own walls using materials such as...