DCFOPH ELECTION PETITION

WE DEMAND MORE PUBLIC HOUSING IN NORTHCOTE AND PRESTON NOT LESS!

Public housing has been in decline in Northcote and Preston electorates for some time. Over ten years ago there were 4,000 dwellings - homes and apartments. Our estimate is there are now only around 2,500 with the demolition of the Walker St Northcote (now called Merri Northcote) and Oakover Rd/Railway Place West South Preston (now called Preston Crossing) estates, transfers to community housing organisations and sales to homeowners and investors. The estate in Eric St Preston is being left to deteriorate and most units are uninhabitable. Other dwellings elsewhere need urgent repair and refurbishment.

Walker St is now a site for $3 million private apartments with city CBD skyline views for the rich and a tower for community housing tenants up on High St. The estate remains a bulldozed site three years after all residents were forced out. The film “Things Will Be Different” tells of the trauma of displaced residents - adults and children.  

A recent so-called update on its no real progress status says construction will start in 2023 on community housing managed units. There will be up to 4 bedroom private homes for the rich and an actual reduction in community housing bedroom numbers with mainly one bedroom community housing units compared to what was demolished.

This state election needs to have voices - candidate and voters - speaking up for public housing as the best way to deliver secure, affordable housing for the many who are on the local area waiting list.

Retain, Repair and Reinvest studies at the Ascot Vale and Barak Beacon public housing estates are demonstrating how public housing estates can be retained not privatised. Go to the following link: https://www.office.org.au/resources/

We also all need to stand in solidarity with private renters who are being forced to pay higher rents they cannot afford.

Please sign our petition below. It will be forwarded to all candidates in both electorates.

PETITION

1.     Retain, Repair and Reinvest in public housing in Northcote and Preston - don't demolish it.

2.     Put an immediate stop to all public housing stock transfers to community housing (CH) providers and have all existing CH tenancies in ex-public housing convert to public housing rent settings - 25% not 30% of household incomes.

3.     The state government's current planning laws are not delivering affordable housing so enable Darebin Council to have a Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning policy to deliver contributions to public and not-for-profit community housing (with rents and leases equal to public housing) and a Housing First dwelling response to homelessness.

4.     Add solar to all existing dwellings where this can happen and improve their energy efficiency.

5.     Fully fund homeless support services separately to the provision of secure homes.

6.     Support a private rental freeze until tenancy laws are strengthened to ban big rent hikes and the right to affordable, secure housing is legislated in Victoria.

DAREBIN COMMUNITY FRIENDS OF PUBLIC HOUSING

https://www.facebook.com/groups/18643080537070