"My name is Em Sage. I am running as an Independent candidate for Yarra City Council.
I received a phone call from Fiona yesterday – I believe she is one of the original members of FoPH. I am very grateful to Fiona for raising my awareness of the largescale transfer of public housing to not-for-profit housing associations. Apparently, we are calling these associations the “community-managed sector”.
What alarms me is that this transfer has been occurring across the country since 2009. Over 35% percent of our public housing is now managed and owned by private organisations.
We all know the risks involved when public assets and services are sold to the private sector.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care has found that the privatisation of the aged care sector has led to a system that fails to meet the needs of vulnerable residents. It does not deliver safe and quality care and neglects the people it serves.
We appear to be going through the same process in public housing. I believe community housing tenants in Victoria have been trying to address inadequate services and conditions, without success.
I believe the parallels here should be the topic of public debate. And we shouldn’t need a Royal Commission to hear the voices of those suffering from neglect. These voices should be front and centre in a national dialogue about privatisation, about maintaining standards in care for vulnerable members of our society.
I call on those interest groups and individuals who made such a difference for aged care to join us in this debate about the privatisation of our public housing. "
I live in a Social Housing home, the manage properties appallingly, maintenance is abysmal, and they want you to contribute hours and hours of your time for nothing. Do not be fooled "Community/Social Housing organisations" do not look after tenants, maintenance, just their big wages, fancy cars and big offices. And you can complain all you want - no-one ever listens
ReplyDeleteEm, Congratulations on your stand for public housing and you clear ability to sum up the exposures in the privatisation that is going on. I am in awe of your depth of knowledge in this area
ReplyDeleteWe need more free thinkers like you in public office, willing to speak up for what is blatantly unjust. Sadly, the political candidates are tied to their party-based policies, and because of the big money involved, the privatisation industry with its paid lobbyists has infected their policies for public housing. Their arguments are very seductive and use clever words like Inclusionary Zoning and Affordable Housing … which when unravelled are for the same old Community Housing and with government financial kick ins as wells as even a leg up with donation of public land to build on.
Public housing tenants have no one to represent them politically other than activists such as FOPH(V). Thank goodness for, independent candidates for public office such as yourself.
Public housing is sadly being neglected in favour of State Government big ticket projects and the slow stealth of transfers of public housing to non government social housing landlords. Friends of Public Housing alas is a voice in the wilderness, but hopefully the momentum to retain and grow public housing will greatly continue? Especially with new supporters, don't they say big oaks from little acorns grow? The loss of any public housing is a great tragedy.
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