Peter – Reservoir

“I’ve been in public housing since the 80’s.

I lived in a private rental in Essendon and it wasn’t tenable.

When I called Housing they told me I might be able to get a place in Reservoir.

At that stage, Reservoir was a dirty word.

That’s when the government also closed a lot of mental asylums in the area and dumped those poor buggers into public housing flats.

Nobody monitored them – the tenants just looked after them.

Some of them couldn’t cook, couldn’t clean themselves, because it was all done for them throughout their institutional life.

Living in public housing has definitely been an experience.

It’s all been about the friendships you make.

There are some really good people that make it worthwhile.”

Peter – Chairperson, East Preston & Reservoir Public Tenants Group