A defiant protest of public housing advocates gathered in Sydney on March 27. The rally of 150 people, organised by Hands off Glebe, marched from Hyde Park to New South Wales Parliament to demand $330 million in repairs that the state government is behind in paying.
It also rallied to stop the proposed sell-off of Millers Point near Sydney's waterfront and other inner-city public housing properties.
The issues about maintenance and lack of supply have been simmering. The announcement to sell off Millers Point poured salt into a festering wound.
A report released in July last year by the NSW Auditor General, Making Best use of Public Housing, shows the complete failure of ALP and Liberal governments to deliver enough public housing to meet demand, maintain and repair existing stock, or appropriately place tenants in homes suitable for their circumstances.
The report concluded that current social housing meets only 44% of the need in NSW. More than 30% of tenants in public housing are living in properties that do not match their household size or needs. There are more than 8000 existing tenants waiting for relocation as their housing is not suitable, and a $330 million shortfall in funding for maintenance. The report declared funding for public housing maintenance inadequate.
At the rally, public housing tenants and their supporters came from Waterloo, Woollomolloo, Marrickville, Millers Point, Chippendale and Glebe to protest.
Barney Gardiner, from the recently established defend Millers Point Community Defence Group, addressed the crowd and said: “We will not let the state government sell off our homes. We will not be moved.”
Kelly Elliott, a 26-year-old single mum, who spent time on the streets with her daughter before she was given a public home in Waterloo, told the crowd how she has lived in a mould-infested home. Elliott recently suffered pneumonia, and her daughter has had respiratory problems due to the condition of their home.
Greens NSW MLC Jamie Parker called NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell a “slum lord” and called on the government to repair and improve stock, not sell it off to greedy developers.
Denis Doherty from Hands off Glebe said: “We are sick of neglect and lack of care by this heartless government, which does not even have a housing minister. While tenants suffer in below-standard houses and waiting lists grow, the NSW government is selling off public housing and is $330 million behind in its maintenance load.”
The Maritime Union of Australia NSW, who had organised a rally of 200 people two days earlier, gave greetings to the rally. In the crowd were the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union Retired Members and Vince Ashton, who fought to save The Rocks and Millers Point from developers in the 1970s.
He told Green Left Weekly: “The conservatives are leading a class war against the poor. The Liberals want to eliminate the poor from the city. If they knock down this, they'll go for other public housing in the inner-city areas.
“What we need is to rejuvenate the Green Bans.”
More meetings and actions are planned to stop the proposed Millers Point sell-off. To keep up to date, get in touch with Save MillersPoint Community Housing or Housing Action for Sydney City Council.