Hi everybody,
To give you important background, below is an article from The Age newspaper, written in Oct 2015, when Victorian Labor first publicly declared its hand, regarding future plans to privatise Public Housing. This came as a bombshell to us after being assured that Labor would not follow down the same path as the Liberals before them.
Lots of spin of course.. I'm not going to insult your intelligence by counter-arguing and refuting some of the points made in the article. Nor will I comment on the individuals and organisations that support this.
Friends of Public Housing Victoria, continues to alert the general public regarding the very real threat to Public Housing, and the irrefutable fact that a robust Public Housing sector ( owned and managed by the government ) is essential if we are going to address the terrible problem of homelessness.
NO government has the mandate to dispose of Public Housing in this way - if they continue with this privatisation agenda, homelessness will continue to worsen.
The biggest threat to the future of Public Housing is that it will be taken over by private 'Community / Social Housing' companies. This is happening across Australia. There needs be be transparency about this.
And it's not working is it?
Homelessness is getting worse all the time.
It's time to reverse the trend. Governments need to take back their responsibility.
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https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/sweeping-changes-presented-on-public-housing-in-victoria-20151018-gkbxdp.html
Sweeping changes presented on public housing in Victoria
A department presentation to community housing groups raises the possibility of transferring public housing titles to community housing operators if they can raise standards for residents.
It also suggests the potential acceleration of a "sales program of outdated properties" that are no longer needed so that "capital reinvestment" can be increased.
Housing Minister Martin Foley said the government was intent on growing public housing and had no "sell-off agenda". "This government is investing more in growing social housing by using our assets and opportunities in a better way," he said.
The presentation foreshadows public housing estate redevelopments and identifying estates most in need of upgrades.
The document said a "transfer management program" was being considered and could lead to property title transfers after three to five years if performance standards were met. Those standards may include improving tenant satisfaction and exceeding maintenance benchmarks.
However, the document makes no mention of how many transfers may take place.
"Our clear position is that we are not looking at title transfer unless we can deliver a benefit to tenants and increase social housing units," Mr Foley said.
Community Housing Federation executive officer Lesley Dredge said transfers of public housing stock to community operators were happening around the country.
She said management transfers would allow community housing groups to improve property maintenance and community development. But Ms Dredge added that title transfers would give social housing tenants more stability and allow community housing groups to borrow money and invest in new supply. "Some have described title transfer as privatisation but this is misleading," Ms Dredge said. "In fact we are more rigorously regulated than state-managed public housing."
The presentation shows plans to expand the number of social housing dwellings, reduce "concentrations of disadvantage" and provide more housing options to people with disabilities.
Opposition housing spokesman Tim Bull urged the government to ensure any transfers to the community sector did not result in the most vulnerable people in the community losing priority. He said tenants' rent should not increase if the transfer plan proceeded.
Last year the previous Coalition government unveiled plans to transfer 12,000 public housing units to the community housing sector.
Victorian Public Tenants Association executive director Mark Feenane said he "embraced" the department's process. "We need more people thinking about the future of public housing," he said. "In looking at ways to grow public housing we need to be careful about shooting down ideas too quickly, we want careful consideration of options, not grandstanding."
University of NSW housing policy researcher Professor Hal Pawson described the presentation as "wide-ranging". "It is some form of strategy which you don't get very often in this field," he said.
Professor Pawson said both management and title transfers would allow residents to claim federal rent assistance as tenants of community housing providers.
Melbourne Greens MP Ellen Sandell said there was a housing crisis in Victoria. The public housing waiting list passed 34,000 in June this year. "Having a safe place to live is a fundamental human right," Ms Sandell said. She said the government should be investing more money in public housing properties and making "much needed improvements" to existing stock.
Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith said transferring management of social housing to community service providers had been linked to improved services, better efficiency and "community empowerment".
"The potential reforms to social housing should be one of the many requirements of a much-needed state-wide affordable housing strategy."
There should be no consideration given to transferring the title deeds of public housing properties to agencies run by the private sector. The private sector’s aim has always been to make profit. This profit will be made to the detriment of those who are the most vulnerable in our society. Once we lose public housing we will never get it back!
ReplyDeleteIts a known fact that whenever the government sells off any asset the general public loses and the disadvantage group (low income earners, you know the ones who receive below minimum payments) always suffer.
ReplyDeleteDefend and Extend Public Housing! This is not achieved by stealth of hand. Confusing public housing with community housing and then lumping them all together under the banner of social housing is a devious trick played by politicians to sell off public assets and desert their obligations to maintain and extend the public housing sector. The poor and the disadvantaged will be far worse off if this trickery is allowed to continue!
ReplyDelete