You may be aware that community consultation processes are underway for the 11 sites included in the public housing renewal program (PHRP).
The consultations are occurring through Community Consultative Committees (CCC).
Each of the CCC’s are at a slightly different stage, which is reflective of the different timelines for each site.
We attend each CCC meeting for each site, to ensure the rights of tenants are protected and advocated for.
Below are examples of the questions that have been asked at the consultative committee meetings, including issues we have raised that have not been answered as yet. Our intention is to continuously provide updates with answers to these questions as they become available.
- How is this development being funded?
- Is it totally DHHS/government funded with the additional funds from the sales of the private apartments?
- What is Housing First’s contribution, if any? It has been stated at the Nth Melbourne CCC Housing First is to provide some 64 dwellings across the 3 sites (Northcote, Preston and North Melbourne).
- How will tenants who do not attend the CCC meetings be informed on matters of design, status updates, etc?
- VPTA does not appear to be in the engagement model shown by Housing First. As the peak body representing people living in public housing will VPTA be formally included?
- How will the differences in public and community housing policy be addressed?
- What happens if public housing tenants are not happy once they move back to the estate?
- What are the provisions around visitor parking?
- How will the increase in traffic be managed?
- How will people with special needs be serviced and supported with property modifications etc?
- Will car parking be allocated to individuals and will it be divided up into public, community and private?
- How are the buildings going to be sound proofed?
- Jurisdiction between public, community and private, what are the rules and how will these be policed?
- How will the VHR allocation system work once these properties are managed by HousingFirst?
- Will public housing tenants have priority if they want to purchase a private dwelling?
- Will new public housing tenants and existing tenants remain under public housing conditions?
- If a tenant refuses to apply for Commonwealth Rent Assistance how will HousingFirst calculate their rent?
- Will HousingFirst impute the rent assistance amount as tenant income?
- In previous years a number Brown and Tiger snakes have been spotted close to the estate. A fence has been installed by DHHS to prevent snakes accessing the grounds, will the fence remain and if not, will a new fence be installed? (Northcote site specific).
- Why was the decision made to separate the public and private dwellings? (Note, this is not relevant at all sites).
- How are buildings that are stylistically and visually different – tenure blind?
- What is the car park allocation (ratio) to public tenants?
- Will the public and private spaces be accessible to everyone?
- If not will they be gated or otherwise has access been restricted?
- The assertion was made that the Housing First policies are the same as that of public housing. Will Housing First policy default to that of public housing where it is shown to be different?
- Will tender submissions that increase social housing stock beyond the minimum 10 per cent stipulated by Government be favourably considered?
- We understand that it is the intention to move tenants back in to renewed properties as soon as possible upon completion of stages of development. Will the timeline on this be negotiable if other areas of the site are still under construction? This could be particularly relevant for tenants who have young children or health problems to consider.
- What action will be taken in the event that no bidder is successful in the tender process for one of the sites?