While many residents agree the flats are past their useful life, sudden announcements about the demolition of their homes has caused shock and anxiety
There is a lot of slippery language around this, both by the government and its critics. There is traditional public housing – built, owned and managed by state governments, which act as landlords. Then, there is “social” housing, which usually means homes managed – and sometimes built by – not-for-profit community housing associations in partnership with state governments.
Finally there is “affordable” housing, which usually means homes rented at a discount to market rates. These are aimed not at social security recipients, but people who struggle in the private market.Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian The Victorian government has said that the renovated estates, presently comprising 6,660 homes, will when rebuilt include a minimum of 7,300 “social” homes. There are now about 10,000 people living in the 44 towers. Once they have been redeveloped, the estates will house about 30,000 in a mix of “social”, “affordable” and “private” housing. It’s a huge increase in density. And the government has refused to give a breakdown between social, affordable and private, and has notably avoided using the word “public housing” in any of its announcements. Asked what was meant by “affordable” a government spokesperson pointed to a definition that stated rents would be capped at 30% of median income. That means, in theory, that in some circumstances “affordable housing” could cost the same as rentals in the private market. The Greens describe this as “privatisation” and possibly the end of public housing as we have known it. So what is driving the Victorian government, along with those in other states, away from public housing and towards the social housing model?Vivienne Milligan, an honorary professor at the City Futures Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, has been an influential person in housing policy for decades. She outlines what she describes as an “anomaly” in public policy. Public housing tenants are not eligible for commonwealth rental assistance, which is paid to all social security recipients in private rentals. But community housing association tenants do get rental assistance. That means the associations, which are registered charities, can charge higher rents with no net impact on the tenants’ disposable income.That means that community housing associations have an advantage over state governments in covering the cost of housing disadvantaged people.A cottage industry of associations now exists, and today includes big, not-for-profit corporations. Does that matter? Milligan thinks not, so long as state government subsidies and regulation is adequate. An annual survey by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has consistently found that tenants in community housing are more content with their landlord than public housing tenants. “They’re a lot closer to the community and not controlled by politicians,” Milligan says. “There’s no reason to believe they can’t do a better job.”Meanwhile, within earshot of Umer’s barbecue area, there is an example of what might lie ahead. Nearing completion are 366 new apartments – 240 of which are “social” housing, and 126 “affordable”. The two categories are in separate buildings, but otherwise indistinguishable from each other. Social and affordable flats under construction at Flemington are bright and well designed, with big verandas and air conditioning.The flats are not luxurious, but they are bright and well designed. There are big verandas, efficient air conditioners and induction cooktops. All the internal doors are wide enough for a wheelchair. Asked if all the redeveloped estates would all look like this, a government spokesperson guaranteed that the new housing would adhere to the same design standards. Some of the residents of the demolished buildings will be moved to these new homes.Shadowing her optimism is the knowledge that nobody in government cared enough to speak to her properly, as though her future mattered. “They don’t seem to think about us. Even if our buildings are old, we still have the memories. Can anyone know our memories?” Margaret Simons is an award-winning freelance journalist and author. She is an honorary principal fellow of the Centre for Advancing Journalism and a member of the board of the Scott Trust, which owns Guardian Media Group
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