Baillieu government squeezing public housing

Vanguard October 2012 p. 3
Jim H.

Victoria’s Baillieu Coalition government is going to raise rents for public housing tenants and privatise a large portion of the existing public housing stock. Future works are to be devoted to providing avenues for profit for the private sector.

This was contained in a report recently released by the Auditor General Des Pearson. Also revealed has been ongoing deferral of maintenance, as the money available for public housing dwindles.

Public housing exists because our forebears fought hard to establish the right to decent and affordable housing. For working people, housing costs are the single biggest economic burden that working people face. Lessening this burden is important to improving the quality of life.

Despite this, public housing has been turned into a charity for the poorest and most vulnerable. Inadequate provision means only 127,000 Victorians are in the system, with another 38,000 waiting on a list. It often takes many years to get off it. Fewer people are now able to buy in the private market, and more are being forced to pay exorbitant rent.

Affordable housing is a right for all.  In this respect it forms an important component of social housing. This means that society provides collectively for the housing needs of its members. This is a far more efficient and fairer solution than the cut throat workings of the private market. Social housing provides the means to build real communities of people sharing and working together.

Instead of moving in this direction, we get “transition to the private market.” Existing tenants are to be hounded perpetually to find ways of terminating their public housing tenancy.

A real housing crisis exists, and it is getting worse.

The only workable answer to this is to massively increase the existing stock of public and social housing in general. It requires a large amount of investment and must proceed on the basis of a plan that only government can deliver.

One cannot expect the problem to be solved by the capitalist state. This would require a society and political system with a socialist agenda. But considerable progress can be made if the politicians are forced to act. Some of the funds for this can be generated by taxing companies and wealthy individuals that own a portfolio of homes in order to enrich themselves from the rent. The rest should come from setting housing as a top government priority. Also important is to take the charity stigma out of public housing. It should not be third rate housing for the marginalised.

Those campaigning for decent and affordable housing for all are fighting an important battle. On July 18, Friends of Public Housing held a successful rally in Melbourne. More actions are in the pipeline. The Social Housing and Support Program (SHASP) are fighting for the rights of public and community housing tenants. It involves a broad range of community and welfare organisations.