Public housing coalition formed

By Sue Brook and Liam Mitchell

MELBOURNE -- One thousand people joined a demonstration here on September 11 against the Howard government's plan to decimate public housing. The demonstration was organised by a recently formed coalition of churches and community groups.

April Bragg from the new Save Public Housing Coalition told the crowd that the government's proposed changes -- which will cause major rent increases, to be "offset" by rent assistance payments to public tenants -- is "just a direct subsidy to landlords. It doesn't expand the available housing, and it doesn't ensure affordable housing."

She said that public tenants who live in the inner city will be forced to move to the city outskirts, and "the inner-city public housing will probably be sold off".

In Sydney, around 500 people joined a rally in the Waterloo public housing estate in the city's south-east on September 14 to oppose the proposed changes. The rally, called by South Sydney City Council, brought together residents from South Sydney, Woolloomooloo and Glebe.

The nationwide Save Public Housing campaign is demanding that the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement be continued and that the federal government provide more capital funds so that public housing can be built, maintained and expanded.

For more information about the campaign in Victoria, contact Stephen Nash on 9486 9377. In Sydney, another rally will be held on September 21 at 10am at the Glebe Town Hall.

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