Battle of ideologies in public housing

Anyone who has lined up with 60 other desperate, competing applicants at Saturday morning rental inspections for an over-priced box in the inner west, is only too aware of the critical lack of affordable housing in Sydney. The 40,000 people on the waiting list for public housing in NSW are only too aware that there are no homes left for low-income people in Sydney.

But where we see the disagreement is in practical solutions to this housing crisis.

In one corner is the previous NSW Labor Government’s policy of privatising public housing in exchange for a minimal return of new affordable housing. In the other corner are advocates for public housing who believe privatisation is a mistake. They say Housing NSW should instead use the rent it collects from tenants to repair existing housing.

The former Labor government’s policy aimed to create more affordable housing by allowing private developments to bypass local planning laws if 20 per cent of the housing was leased at below market rates for 10 years.

A new NSW Liberal government policy is about to be thrown into the ring that will remove the incentive for developers to include affordable housing in their projects.

Last week, the new Planning Minister Brad Hazzard called an immediate halt to new development applications made under the old policy. The government says it will establish a new affordable housing taskforce to develop a replacement policy.

With bulldozers set to start knocking down 15 public housing buildings between Cowper Street, Wentworth Street and Bay Street  in Glebe this week, the question is how this change in policy will effect public housing that is caught between the changing policy.

A local residents action group “Hands Off Glebe” is still hoping to save the post-World War II housing.

In 2008, the NSW Government announced a redevelopment project at Glebe to replace 15 public housing buildings with a mix of public housing, affordable housing and private housing.

The 15 buildings on the Cowper Street site have the capacity to house 289 people. The proposed redevelopment will see the demolition of 134 existing units and on the same site the construction of 153 smaller social housing units, 83 affordable housing
units, retail spaces and 250 privately owned units.

Housing NSW says there will be no loss of social housing on the site as a result of the redevelopment.
Hands Off Glebe’s last hope to stop the demolitions is a meeting with NSW Minister for Community Services Pru Goward, but activist Denis Doherty says the fight is close to lost. “It’s not looking good at the moment. It’s five minutues to midnight,”
Mr Doherty said. “So far they have only damaged two of the buildings by pulling out ceilings and floor coverings, so they could easily be repaired.”

Leichhardt Labor councillor Darcy Byrne, who has worked in the public housing estate in Glebe for the past decade, believes the new development is good for tenants.

“The housing we are talking about is incredibly run-down. We are talking about housing that had been built after World War II and had become slum housing,” Mr Byrne said.

“The buildings are so old that things like water bills and power bills are very high for the tenants because the buildings are not sustainable.”

Funding from the private development was slated to go towards new affordable housing projects in this area. Mr Byrne says it is critical that this still happens under the new Liberal Government. He says the Hands of Glebe group should redirect their energy to a compromise solution.

“A much more positive way to focus their energies is in ensuring the housing affordable project goes forward as quickly as possible,” Mr Byrne said.

On the other hand, Mr Doherty believes Housing NSW under either a Labor or Liberal government is not committed to public housing.

“Housing NSW is not in the business of public housing anymore, it’s in
the business of real estate. It’s not the way for a government to behave, a government should provide housing for disadvantaged people,” Mr Doherty said.

“What they’re doing is following a certain neo-liberal philosophy. The government is getting out of housing and it will use any excuse, subterfuge or propaganda.”

“Their own documents state they considered renovating and refurbishing, but they decided they will get the highest yield by demolishing and selling the buildings.”

Mr Byrne says he would like to see the government do more to provide social housing.

“I think the affordable housing crisis is the most critical issue that is facing us in the inner city, “ Mr Byrne said.

“I’d like to see spending on affordable housing and social housing quadrupled by both state and federal governments.

“If I didn’t think this was a valuable project and a useful project, I would oppose it.”

BY LIZ CUSH