SPHC Mission, Purpose and Campaign Demands


Mission 

To campaign for public housing as an essential foundation of a fair society. 

SPHC Purpose 

• Campaigning and advocating for the value of public housing to all in society.

• Advocating for a mandatory adoption of the internationally-recognised ‘housing first’ approach to ending homelessness, with public housing providing unconditional accommodation

• Amplifying the voices of public housing residents.

• Networking with other campaign groups who support the primacy of public housing in achieving housing justice.

• Conducting and promoting evidence-based research on public housing.

• Producing and distributing creative works about public housing through social media, videos and films.


SPHC Campaign Demands 

The SPHC calls for: 

  1. Rapid and significant increase in the availability and quality of public housing across Victoria:

    a) Victorian State Government to directly invest and build new public housing sufficient to eliminate the current waitlist to zero by 2024 and reduce overcrowding in existing high-rise buildings.

    b) Victorian State Government to maintain a rate of construction of public housing into the future that meets existing, emerging and forecast need and ensures an end to homelessness.

    c) Victorian State Government to fast-track the current COVID-19 maintenance and refurbishment program and extend this to all existing public housing dwellings, open spaces and community infrastructure.

    d) Require mandatory public housing contributions from private developers on private land.

    e) Once all waiting list demand is met, lift the maximum income threshold and adjust new building programs to meet future demand.

  2. A public housing governance system that places tenant rights and needs at the centre:

    a) Homes Victoria is required via constitution to actively support public tenants and champion public housing as a social good.

    b) Homes Victoria must restore and adequately resource the dedicated Complaints and Appeals Office in order that public tenants can have problems swiftly dealt with when they are beyond the resolution powers of the local housing office.

    c) A new Public Housing Ombudsman dedicated to addressing public tenant grievances when Homes Victoria are unresponsive.

    d) Enrichment of public tenant communities and a more prominent voice in Homes Victoria decisions affecting tenants’ housing and quality of life. This fully funded democratic participation would comprise a peak body representing tenants state-wide and local or estate groups empowered to support their local tenants and run community programs. The template for this two-tiered model would be the highly successful program undertaken by the Cain-Kirner government in the 1990s. Whilst a state-wide public tenants’ peak body will have many roles and responsibilities in line with its funding and service agreements, it should not be pressured to endorse or promote the State Government’s housing platform. Local tenant groups would be free to advocate for their tenants without fear of jeopardising the group’s financial status.

  3. Stop privatisation and redevelopment of existing public housing:

    a) Cease all redevelopment programs on existing public housing estates that introduce private and/or community housing. Retain all existing public housing estates as 100% public housing.

    b) Introduce legislation to prevent future sale, redevelopment or renewal of public housing stock and public lands that are suitable for new public housing development.

    c) Cease the transfer or sale of any public housing stock or tenancy management to community housing organisations.

    d) Cease the sales to tenants program.

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