The policies of successive NSW governments to not build new public housing and sell off old stock is worsening the housing crisis, writes Paul Gregoire.
Action for Public Housing
Action for Public Housing organised a free sausage sizzle as part of building support for a pre-election rally on February 11 to demand housing justice in NSW. Rachel Evans reports.
MPs from both major parties have absorbed an investor–style thinking, even towards public housing. Andrew Chuter argues that naïve economic theories of supply and demand will not fix the homelessness problem.
Residents and advocates gathered to protest the state government’s proposal to demolish the Wentworth Park Road public housing estate. Isaac Nellist reports.
Public housing residents and supporters protested the proposed demolition of a Waterloo public housing estate. Rachel Evans reports.
Isaac Nellist reports on a regular picket by housing activists to call for a boost in public funding for public housing.
Public housing residents and supporters joined a Defend Public Housing picket to call for an urgent build of more public housing. Isaac Nellist reports.
Hands off Glebe and Action for Public Housing organised a rally to demand the NSW government stop selling off public housing. Isaac Nellist reports.
Peter Boyle reports that the NSW Liberal-National government wants to sell 600 Elizabeth St, Redfern — vacant public land that was previously 100% public housing — to property developers.
Hands off Glebe and Action for Public Housing hosted an online forum to discuss how best to defend New South Wales public housing from the state government’s plan to sell it off. Rachel Evans reports.
Peter Muller, one of a handful public housing tenants valiantly hanging on to their homes in Millers Point, Sydney, told Green Left Weekly that he has been served with an eviction notice for 9.30am, Tuesday May 9. He's called on supporters of public housing to turn up in numbers at 32 High St, Millers Point.
"After me, all the remaining Milllers Point tenants are ages pensioners," said Muller, an electrician and a proud member of the Electrical Trades Union.
Video by Peter Boyle for Green Left Weekly.
"We call on the Baird state government to re-block the Waterloo towers, not knock them down," Richard Weeks, spokesperson for the Waterloo Public Housing Action Group (WPHAG), told Green Left Weekly on July 6. He was referring to the NSW Coalition government's plans to demolish the public housing towers in the inner suburb of Waterloo, and replace them with high-rise, private apartments.
Action for Public Housing (APH) was launched at the Redfern Community Centre on June 24. The launch was addressed by Green Bans movement activists Jack and Judy Mundey, Aboriginal elder Jenny Munro and Associate Professor Michael Darcy. The meeting also watched short videos highlighting the history of community resistance to the destruction of public housing in the city.
Residents of public housing towers in Waterloo, inner Sydney, rallied on April 23 against the NSW Coalition government's plan to forcibly evict tenants so it can sell off their homes.
The community is fighting the government's plan to begin relocating residents from mid-next year, before demolishing the Waterloo apartment towers to build new private high-rise apartments.
After living in the Millers Point area for more than 50 years, Myra Demetriou is moving out of the Sirius building in February. Myra has been an integral part of Save Our Sirius - the face of our campaign and a reminder of the way the government treats their aged population. Join us at Sirius on Saturday 27th Jan at 11am to give Myra the farewell she deserves, and show the government that our campaign will continue. If we succeed, Myra might be able to return to her home and community. #FarewellMyra #SaveOurSirius
In NSW tenants are in dire need of rent relief.
One in three Australians rent - some 2.5 million households. A 2019 survey showed 40 per cent of tenants are in rental stress - they pay more than 30% of their income in rent.
In Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world, an extremely high 64% of all renters are in rental stress.
This is all before the COVID19 crisis.
With lay-offs, reduction of work hours, the prospect of JobSeeker and JobKeeper being removed, pay freezes for front-line workers being proposed, tenants are even more stressed.
