Contributed from Victora

Melbourne’s high rise public housing tenants are fighting the Victorin government’s plan to forcefully demolish their homes. There has been no consultation, and most of them, 20,000 out of 30,000 will be thrown out into the high costs public housing market.

Some will be offered places in newly defined “affordable housing,” where the rents are set at up to 70 percent of market rent. Public housing residents will still be put into much worse position by losing the 25 percent of income rent they now have. They will be excluded from the high-cost inner suburbs where many ow live.

Not only this. the dispersal of public housing tenants will destroy communities that have been built over years. These communities are an important support that adds to the quality of life.

Photo by Wayne Taylor: fighters for public housing Margaret Kelly (right), with friend and supporter Lyn Dixon

Public housing is being deliberately destroyed by the greedy. The government’s plan unveiled by the previous Premier Dan Andrews in the state government’s housing statement last September, is really a vehicle to hand over valuable land to developers looking for a quick profit. The residents are treated as the collateral damage of a business deal.

Bulldozing ahead through its agency Homes Victoria, the state government is pressing on a plan that effectively eliminates public housing. The quantity of public homes is being reduced, and this is being covered by vague talk about social housing and affordable housing. The harm is in the detail and not the labels.

By failing to listen to the tenants, this government is proving its low regard for them. Providing genuinely affordable housing isn’t the objective. The real objective is serving the ideology that the market knows best hoe to provide housing.

Public housing was never given. It was forced from government by those who fought for it in the past. Their concept is that there should be alternatives to the high cost of housing, which would ultimately be available to everyone. They fought for these public homes to be in locations that gave access to work, life, and had access to public transport.

It’s thanks to them that we have housing estates and other public homes in the wider community. Their legacy is now being destroyed.

Public housing never sat well with those lining their pockets in the private market. Most of those warming their seats on government benches didn’t like it either. They like it even less now, because the property price bubble offers more cream, Land now occupied by the housing estates is a big bowl of cream for those able to cash in.

The dismantling of public housing has been going on for some time. First of all, it was reduced to a charity for only the poorest, when it was supposed to also be for those normal wages. This eventually provided the cover to gradually reduce the budget on existing homes and neglect maintenance needs and the quality of departmental service.

Under today’s cost of housing crisis, there is even more justification for public housing and its availability to all. Instead of being destroyed, it should be expanded big time. Existing residents should not be allowed to become the victims of government servicing greed. These people are fighting back, and they need the support of the wider community.

A class action to stop demolition is before the courts. Residents at 33 Alfred Street and 120 Racecourse Road in North Melbourne, and 12 Holland Street in Flemington. Have engaged Inner Melbourne Community Legal for this, but legal manipulation has been used to delay the hearing. This will now begin on 28 October. Meanwhile demolition is about to begin anytime after 19 July. They won’t wait until the hearing. This will be fought all the way.

In total, 44 towers across all public housing estates have been listed for demolition. This must not happen.