Kudos to the ACTU for their Public Housing Push
The Save Public Housing Collective commends the Australian Council of Trade Unions on their call for a massive increase in public housing supply, and for standard private rental lease periods to be increased to two years.
“Australia once built public housing at a scale that matched working people’s needs. Under the Hawke Government, 1 in 10 new homes built were public housing, but today that’s closer to 1 in 50. If we’re serious about fixing the housing crisis, we must increase public housing stock to free up homes in the private rental market and make renting more affordable for everyone”
— ACTU Chair, Michele O’Neil.
This push for one in every ten homes built to be public housing would drive the national amount of public housing closer to 6% of all homes. It currently sits at nearly 4%, including community housing, and in Victoria just under 3%, the lowest proportion nationally.
SPHC agrees that nurses, teachers and other workers deserve the genuine affordability and security of tenure that public housing provides. In Vienna, 60% of the population live in quality public housing. If it was being constructed to meet the demand, then at least 25% could be reserved for those on average incomes, higher than the income bracket for public housing eligibility. This would also create a significant boost in public housing rental revenue – what’s not to like?
In contrast, the current Affordable housing platform doesn’t offer essential workers genuine affordability or access to social housing advocacy bodies to help resolve disputes with the landlord, and in Victoria there’ve been issues with the building standards.
Many groups are lobbying for public housing but we need to come together, to speak out in a united voice, so that governments are compelled to listen.
In the meantime, SPHC has written to the ACTU with the following asks:
That they strongly urge the Victorian Government to cease their crazy tower demolition plans until each of the 44 towers is independently assessed for its structural integrity and ongoing viability; and explore retrofitting as an alternative to demolition;
Demand that the Government release the 146 documents held under Cabinet privilege which allegedly provide the grounds for demolition;
Consider adding to the ACTU’s housing plan the need for State and Federal governments to address spiralling homelessness by recognising housing as a human right and adopting the ‘Housing First’ principle that people in long-term homelessness are housed as a priority and the waiting list is effectively cut to zero.
Across Melbourne vulnerable and elderly public housing renters are traumatised by their impending forced displacement as the Carroll Government intends to knock down seven older persons blocks in the third tranche of tower demolitions. We need allies from the trade unions to join the fight. We hope that the Victorian Trades Hall will get on board soon.
