Dear Premier  

 

Access to housing is undeniably a human right. This letter is a united call from the organizations supporting the Victorians in most urgent need of housing. We ask that you:

 

1. 1. Commit to a 100 per cent uplift of the number of public housing on the sites with the balance to be community housing properties and genuinely affordable housing for key workers.
   2. Rule out the sale of any public land that is currently the site of a public housing home.

 

A number of the commitments contained within the Victorian Government’s recently released Housing Statement are unequivocally welcome, including:

 

• • An end to rental bidding;
  • A 7.5 per cent levy on short term accommodation;
  • The introduction of a rental bond portability scheme, banning landlords from raising rents for 12 months after evicting the previous tenant at the end of their first fixed-term lease, and
  • Extending notification periods of rent increases from 60 to 90 days.

 

However, with more than 100,000 individual Victorians with nowhere to call their home or living in unsafe or unaffordable conditions, there is more work to be done.

 

The harsh reality is that Victoria is lagging behind. Only 2.9 per cent of all dwellings across the State are social housing.

 

We appreciate the need for renewal of the existing high-rise buildings. We are aware of substantial maintenance and safety issues which make these buildings no longer fit for purpose.

 

The management of the new public housing units is not clear. Public housing tenants do not want government to abrogate their responsibility to the ongoing management of public assets. Further, beyond Victoria’s urgent need for additional social housing, working class Victorians are also in desperate need of genuinely affordable housing options that are close to where they work.  

 

The high-rise sites are well located, close to education and work opportunities, hospitals, and public transport. These sites are incredibly valuable, and they have a strong legacy of providing homes for people who might otherwise be experiencing homelessness.

 

Once they leave public hands – they will never come back.

 

Yours sincerely