DOMESTIC VIOLENCE- WE NEED PUBLIC HOUSING !!

  

Public Housing has provided a safe, permanent refuge and a home to countless victims of domestic violence over the years.

Every single public housing property is desperately needed.

PLEASE can we stop the silence when it comes to the importance of saving public housing and the silence around proposed stock transfers ...

Here is a quote by the Chief Executive of Domestic Violence Victoria. We know its meaning will not be lost on the politicians ... but will they follow expert advice?

Taken from The Age

Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack said the Royal Commission heard first hand about the impact of a lack of affordable options for women and children, "but we've got a bottleneck getting women into refuge because we can't actually exit them out into safe and affordable accommodation."

"So we absolutely support the retention of publicly owned social housing," she said. 

                          ----------------------------

Our comment

'Fairer Safer Housing Victoria' -a government paper inviting submissions, states that 'social housing' collectively refers to public housing and community housing' 

This definition means that social housing is an umbrella term which applies to both 'community' and 'public housing'. We try to avoid it where possible because it is quite confusing. 

But Ms McCormack's message is clear. She has come out in support of retaining public housing. 

Handing over the titles of public housing will exacerbate the crisis for domestic violence victims - mostly women and children.

The simple truth is - they are trapped in very dangerous situations - with NOWHERE TO GO !!

                                     

Please listen to our point of view...

We believe that we have a very important voice to add to the whole housing debate and the future of public housing.The fact that the arguments in support of public housing are being suppressed is deeply wrong.

The perspective from public tenants is invaluable because we know of what we speak ( the lived experience) 

Support Friends of Public Housing Victoria. 

Thankyou, Fiona McCormack. 

Chief Executive, 

Domestic Violence Victoria.

                           ___________________

sources The Age 

http://bit.ly/1TiLoGX

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/east-west-link-homes-could-be-used-to-help-family-violence-victims-20160408-go29a9.html#ixzz46MSz6pqm 

DESTROYING LIVES, CRUSHING NEIGHBOURHOODS

Global perspective -  Britain

At Friends of Public Housing Vic we try and show why we must be concerned about proposed massive stock transfers of publicly owned housing to Housing Associations. In Victoria we are following the UK housing model and the plan to transfer 12,000 public housing properties is still in the pipeline and has not been scrapped by Vic Labor. But these properties have not been handed over yet.. The hyperbole and endless spin from politicians- across the board- and the community housing businesses themselves of course, is that social / community housing associations can do a better job of providing housing and that we'll all be better off.

Well, lets hear from the tenants of a major Housing Association ( Riverside )  who live in Maidstone, Carlisle, Longtown and Brampton in the UK.

( I've googled these towns and they look like such charming and picturesque places to live - what a shame that an elite's unbridled greed can spoil life for ordinary people. )

Many thanks to Carlisle Tenants' and Residents' Federation for the following post  

`RIVERSIDE:DESTROYING LIVES, CRUSHING NEIGHBOURHOODS`  29.3.16

 

Welcome aboard to The Times. This week  that newspaper devoted much of its front page to exposing the scandal  of  the grossly excessive pay of some of the leading housing associations bosses. 

The newspaper found that some of the highest paid bosses- the  housing association fat cats- ran the worst performing associations.

The exposure- nothing new to readers of this  blog - was summed up in The Times headline: '£350,000 Salaries for Britain`s Worst Social Housing Chiefs'.

So, welcome aboard to The Times. Join  Community Voice Carlisle and  the growing band of  other critics who wish to put an end  to this scandal and the many other housing association scandals that this blog has attacked in the past three years.

The  Community Voice Carlisle attacks have been directed mainly against  one in particular of those leading housing associations, the Liverpool based Riverside. It owns 50,000  homes nationwide and with 6,000 homes in Carlisle is the city`s biggest landlord.

Riverside as you would expect has had its share of fat cat bosses. Up to fairly recently, the Chief  Executive was paid £230,000 year which is about 50 per cent more than the Prime Minister (£142,000 a year). But massive public criticism- including attacks from Community Voice Carlisle- has  forced a cut-back.

Now the present chief executive, Ms Carol Matthews has to make do with £183,781.That should be enough  to buy a  tin or two of the  soothing drink, Horlicks which Community Voice Carlisle has prescribed for her. Ms Matthews has difficulty in nodding off at nights.

There is no nodding off for a new  group of  angry Riverside tenants which has sprung into life. Members of the group are so busy  attacking Riverside on Facebook and other social media that there is little time for sleep. 

The group is based in Maidstone (Kent) and is called "Tenants Against Riverside." According to Tenants Against Riverside,  Riverside in Maidstone is just as bossy and shambolic in its operations as it is here  in Carlisle, Longtown and Brampton.

So welcome on board, Tenants Against Riverside. Join The Times newspaper-once generally known as The Thunderer- and Community Voice Carlisle in a crusade against Riverside. 

That crusade could easily start with  the Maidstone tenants` version of the  hypocritical Riverside motto, "Riverside:Transforming lives, Revitalising neighbourhoods”.

The Maidstone tenants` version is this: "Riverside : Destroying lives, crushing neighbourhoods"

MEDIA RELEASE- HOMELESS PERSONS UNION VIC

Here is a copy of the Media Release put out by the HPUV.
This action has widespread community support.

               

Homeless Persons Union of Victoria

MEDIA RELEASE

BENDIGO STREET OCCUPATION TO CONTINUE UNTIL DEMANDS ARE MET –

      PUBLIC HOUSING NOW

A group of housing activists and homeless people have occupied properties in Bendigo Street, Collingwood.

These 6 government-owned houses were pledged to be used to address homelessness by the Andrews government, but many have been sitting empty for over a year.

The occupiers of the properties have made the following demands and refuse to leave until they are met.

• Immediate release of all information relating to the current ownership of all

properties acquired for the East-West Link, with full transparency about all

acquired land and no more dishonesty.

•The 6 unused houses on Bendigo St to be made into genuine public housing

and allocated to some of the 35,000 people on the public housing waiting list.

Occupation will continue until the first keys are handed over.

• All unoccupied properties acquired for the East-West Link that are still in the

government’s possession to be added to the public housing register.

• Minister Martin Foley to come to Bendigo St and be interviewed by people

with experience of homelessness.

• The Andrews government to say how they intend to provide housing for 25,000

homeless people while there are 80,000 unoccupied dwellings in Melbourne.

Given the importance placed on addressing housing issues by the report

of the recent Royal Commission on Family Violence, the occupiers believe taking

action on public housing should be an immediate priority of all levels of government.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:hpuvic@gmail.com

The HPUV is a grassroots organisation consisting of members who have been or currently are homeless. It works to ensure that the voices and concerns of homeless Victorians are given a platform for expression

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STILL NO CLARITY ON EAST-WEST LINK HOUSES

BLOG POST BY KIERAN BENNETT
April 14, 2016

http://www.kieransreview.com

2 Bendigo Street

Last week The Age reported that vacant housing owned by the state government in Bendigo Street, Collingwood, “could be used to help family violence victims”. Emphasis added.

The State government and others are touting the story in The Age in an attempt to convince homelessness activists to end their occupation of the vacant houses that were compulsorily acquired by the state government for the failed East West Link project.

The article in The Age contains no definite information about the government’s plans, it merely states that when asked “if the government would use the available properties to help domestic violence victims, Housing Minister Martin Foley did not rule it out”.

All of the information that activists have seen indicates that if the government has definite plans to use the vacant properties (which is not clear), they do not have comprehensive plans to utilize all of the houses, and they do not intend to convert them into public housing. At best, government officials have indicated they have plans to lease certain East West Link houses to a “community housing” project.

The Homeless Persons Union initiated the occupation in Bendigo Street a fortnight ago to demand that:

“The 6 unused houses on Bendigo St to be made into genuine public housing … [and that] All unoccupied properties acquired for the East-West Link that are still in the government’s possession to be added to the public housing register … [and that] The Andrews government to say how they intend to provide housing for 25,000 homeless people”

The focus on Public housing is a deliberate part of their demands. “Community” housing is not public housing, although the distinction is lost on many.

“Social” or “Community” housing projects are administered by social service or religious NGOs and charities. These projects do not offer the long term security of tenure or guaranteed affordability of the public housing system.

For LGBTQI+ homeless people community houses offers the additional awkwardness and likely discrimination associated with potentially homophobic religious groups such as the Salvation Army.

'The Salvation Army has been forced to make a public apology after one of its majors stated that the Salvation Army believes gay people should die.'

There is a housing crisis in Melbourne, and the policies of the state government seem poised to make life harder for people depending on public housing.

Last year the state government foreshadowed plans to turn much of the state’s existing public housing over to “community housing” projects.

The wider community should not be fooled by the FUD being spread by the state government. The state government continues to hold houses empty, and they failed to announce any credible plan for the houses in Bendigo Street, Collingwood. The occupation initiated by the HPUV continues; if you have half an hour free, come down to 2 Bendigo Street and get involved.

Kieran Bennett

NEWSFLASH - PRIVATISATION AGENDA MOVING FAST

BRINGING YOU THE NEWS YOU WON'T READ ABOUT ELSEWHERE  !!!

NEWS-FLASH

Community Housing Federation of Victoria - CHFV - the peak body for Community Housing

Organisations  ( aka social housing ) has put in a submission for the upcoming 2016 /2017 Budget 

wanting the Government to start handing over the TITLES AND MANAGEMENT of 12,000 Public Housing properties to them as well as millions of dollars in funding.

IS THIS LITTLE PIECE OF NEWS INTENDED TO GO VIRTUALLY UNDER THE RADAR - AS IF IT'S NO BIG DEAL - JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL ??

IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THAT IN A DEMOCRACY WE COULD BE LOSING PUBLIC HOUSING IN THIS WAY. 

THIS IS HISTORICAL- THE PRIVATISING OF ANOTHER DESPERATELY NEEDED PUBLIC ASSET - WITHOUT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE OR ANY MANDATE GIVEN.

THESE PROPERTIES BELONG TO THE PEOPLE OF VICTORIA - COLLECTIVELY OWNED BY US - AND TITLE TRANSFERS OF 12,000 PROPERTIES IS THEFT.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE CARETAKERS OF PUBLIC HOUSING, NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

AND WHAT OF THE RIGHTS OF PUBLIC TENANTS?

IF YOU OPPOSE THIS OUTRIGHT, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUALMS, MISGIVINGS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS IN ANY WAY - THEN PLEASE GET INVOLVED.

ONCE THESE PROPERTIES ARE GONE THEY ARE GONE FOREVER ... 

http://www.chfv.org.au/database-files/view-file/?id=6178

READ THIS EXTRACT FOUND IN THE SUBMISSION TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT IN THE 2016-2017 BUDGET.  p5

Government should support:

- a staged process for the transfer of around 12,000 public housing properties to the community housing sector by the Director of Housing to; and

- the establishment of community housing offices in local communities to ensure place-based, responsive tenancy management by allocating up to $12 million in establishment grants for community housing organisations which are successful in securing a transfer.

CHFV believes that the time is right to commence a program of reform that will over time see title to around 12,000 public housing properties transferred to registered community housing organisations (registered agencies). This will mean the community housing sector owns or manages around 35% of all social housing in Victoria, delivering on a Council of Australian Government’s commitment in 2009.

THE STOCK TRANSFER 'CONE OF SILENCE'

PUBLIC TENANTS have certainly TRIED to find out the truth regarding plans to privatise public housing.

Here is a list of responses Friends of Public Housing Victoria have compiled while talking to our fellow public tenants over the course of months and recent years.

These replies have, by no means, come solely from the Office of Housing.

These answers have also come from politicians and other organisations.

Public tenants have asked

‘Is public housing being privatised?’

‘What is ‘community housing’ and are they taking over public housing?’

Responses include

 ‘We don’t know what you are talking about’

 ‘It’s all just a silly rumour. Take no notice’

‘We don’t know anything about Community Housing’

“There is absolutely no truth in this whatsoever!’

 ‘It’s a lot of rubbish’

‘Yes public housing is being privatised, but only 2-3% of it, so we can get public housing back on track’  ( !  )

‘As soon as we find out, you’ll be the first to know’

‘There’s no point discussing it until after it happens’

‘Well yes, but don’t worry, these changes won’t affect your public housing estate’

‘Yes, but there is no cause for alarm because these organisations are Not-for-Profits’

In fact Not-for-Profits is a misnomer. ‘Not-for-Profits' are not necessarily small struggling organisations. They can certainly be profit-driven, growing, merging, and swallowing up the smaller players- in fact behaving like any other corporation.

Charities can become huge, powerful entities - and businesses can apply for charitable status in order to receive generous tax exemptions.

And finally, tenants have been told, ‘Nothing has been decided yet’.

IN FACT, in an infamous COAG meeting in 2009 –under the Rudd Labor government - a decision was made to transfer 12,000 publicly owned properties ( public housing ) to ‘community housing’ businesses. No new housing will be created by these transfers – only a change of landlords, rules and criteria. These changes in criteria and regulations when public housing is given away ( such as the introduction of limited contracts ) disadvantages even further our most vulnerable citizens - who often miss out on being housed in favour of more well-heeled tenants. 

And of course there will be even less public housing available to house these people in need …

  

                                                   ****************

In February of this year Friends of Public Housing Victoria organised a political meeting. Public tenants could discuss the differences between Public Housing, Social Housing and Community Housing and any other matters with a Human Rights and tenancy lawyer.

To advertise this, a dedicated group from Friends of Public Housing door-knocked on housing estates and explained to the tenants that Martin Foley, the ALP Victorian State Minister for Housing, has stated that he is considering handing over the management of Public Housing to Community Housing Organisations - with a view to handing over the titles at a later date.

We told the tenants to come along to this meeting and ask questions. They have a right to be informed and also to get involved in a campaign in opposition to these proposed changes to public housing. This is our democratic right. 

The following day, a public tenant contacted us. He had quite sensibly phoned his Housing Officer for verification and was told,

‘Don’t listen to a word they say. None of it is true.’

See what we are up against?

The meeting was very well attended.

The public tenants were keen to learn more from an expert in the field. They were relieved and empowered to be given accurate information in an atmosphere of openness, honesty and transparency. And they had a lot of anecdotes to share. 

An update - May 2016
A public tenant was recently told by his housing officer that 'they're probably not going to 
go ahead with it now'- meaning the stock transfers. So we've gone from 'It's all just a rumour' to
this latest response... In fact the whole thing has been in the pipeline for years. Without the tenants knowing about it- or the knowledge or the mandate of the general public.