The Government has a practice of giving away PUBLIC LAND to foster and promote private empire-building - such as Community / Social Housing - and then using PR and Spin to make it sound like a good thing! This must STOP!
Many thanks to Jack Verdins and Martina Macey for their invaluable help in creating this Flyer / Press Release.
FRIENDS OF PUBLIC HOUSING VICTORIA PUBLIC HOUSING - GET THE
FRIENDS OF PUBLIC HOUSING VICTORIA
SHAME ON YOU LABOR … WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR HOUSING ALL IN NEED?
A HEARTLESS ANNOUNCEMENT ANYTIME - DEPLORABLE DURING PANDEMIC CHAOS.
On July 6th 2020 a government press release trumpeted
“Car Park Key To More Affordable Housing In Port Phillip”
The City of Port Phillip is handing over public land (formerly a car park) to a private business called HousingFirst, to build what they call 'affordable housing'.
‘Affordable Housing’ is a term which can be used to mean up to 80% of market rents-
often unaffordable for those on low incomes.
FOPHV says build Public Housing on this public land for those in need.
Public Housing is owned and managed by Governments.
Community Housing, such as HousingFirst, is housing owned and/or managed by private non-government organisations.
Public Housing tenants and advocates insist on Public Housing, not Community or "Social" Housing.
In Public Housing
1. Tenants' rents are set at 25% of combined household income and is readily reset if income goes down ( rebated rents)
2. Tenants have ongoing security of tenure.
3. All who meet the income test are accepted on the wait-list.
Community ( Social) Housing does not offer these protections. Prospective tenants are often cherry-picked.
Victorian Governments- both ALP and LNP have been handing over Public Housing to Community Housing organisations for the past 25 years.
FOPHV calls on governments to STOP giving away public assets.
FOPHV urges all to write or phone your local state member of Parliament and the City of Port Phillip, demanding more Public Housing- NOT less.
LABOR COULD AND SHOULD HAVE DONE MUCH MORE FOR THE HOUSING CRISIS THAN THIS CAR-PARK GIVEAWAY.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN OPPORTUNITY LOST TO INCREASE DESPERATELY NEEDED PUBLIC HOUSING!
Sources
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/car-park-key-to-more-affordable-housing-in-port-phillip/ .
Please note - HousingFirst, formerly known as Port Phillip Housing should not be confused with a separate and very different housing project ( 'Housing First' ) in Finland.
FOPHV -August 2020
Martina Macey
Member of Friends of Public Housing Vic.
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