A few home truths

8/12/2020

Inverloch's Woodland Cottages, completed in 2007, is a great example of community housing where the community, council and State Government worked together to provide 19 units for older residents.

By Graeme Charles

THE recent announcement that Bass Coast Shire has been allocated $25 million toward providing more public and community housing has rightly been welcomed by Bass Coast Shire Council. And surely anyone living in Bass Coast, with even the smallest sense of social justice, would also welcome this announcement.

Such is the extent of the current social housing shortage in Australia that it has been suggested we would need to build 100 dwellings a day for 20 years to provide a home for people with the most urgent housing need.

Across Bass Coast Shire the number of social houses represents a very small percentage of our total housing, ranging from as low as 1 per cent on Philip Island to 6 per cent in Wonthaggi. Right now there is no public housing available for people on the Public Housing Register, so any increase in public housing stock here would be welcomed.

The terms public housing, social housing, and community housing are frequently used concomitantly, so it might be helpful to consider what each of these terms actually means. Social housing is both short and long-term rental housing that is owned and managed by the government or not-for-profit agencies. This may consist of either public housing which is long-term rental housing that government manages, or community housing, which is secure, affordable, long-term rental housing for people on low incomes or with special needs.

International examples of successful social housing

Quayside Village in Vancouver

Savonnerie Heymans Public Housing, Brussels

Quinta Monroy Housing, Chile

Unfortunately social housing has always had its problems, not the least of these being the stigma associated with this type of housing. It’s going to be absolutely crucial to the success of the roll-out of social housing across Victoria, including Bass Coast, to recognise the needs of the tenants beyond the physical infrastructure.

It has to be more than just putting people into houses. It should be about creating a community that can support them and value them for the contributions they can make to society. The provision of a support mechanism or helping hand to enable tenants to connect with their community and to once again become valued members of society is critically important here.

I note that Bass Coast Shire is in the process of developing its own housing strategy, and hope that community input will be sought as part of its development. Likewise, community input should be sought as important issues such as where to locate new social housing begin to be considered. For example, what is the best way to integrate social houses into our community?

Where are the best possible locations for such housing, say, in a place like Wonthaggi? Surely, the former Wonthaggi Secondary College senior campus site is one possibility. Centrally located for people who perhaps don't have a car and need to be close to shops and other services.

Good social housing design features include tailored support services for tenants, integrating units with other private rentals and owner-occupied units (free-standing or apartments). Three terrific examples of successful social housing are Quayside Village in Vancouver, Canada: Savonnerie Heymans Public Housing, Brussels, Belgium: Quinta Monroy Housing, Chile. I urge readers to take a look at these projects and the various elements that went into making them so successful. Too much detail to be included here.

These are just a few preliminary thoughts from someone with an interest in social justice and it would be good to hear what others feel about this issue.

Prior to his retirement, Graeme was for a time, Executive Officer of the Co-operative Federation of Victoria, which counted amongst its membership a number of successful housing co-operatives. The co-operative model has always been a great way for people to meet a need that has otherwise been left unmet; social housing being a good example of this.

4 Comments

Nola Smith

11/12/2020 01:21:42 pm

Well written article Graeme. I especially like your comment..
"It has to be more than just putting people into houses. It should be about creating a community that can support them and value them for the contributions they can make to society.".
Let's hope Bass Coast Shire and interesred others provide input to achieve this. I like the location possibility of the Wonthaggi SC site.

denis hornsby

11/12/2020 01:36:25 pm

Graeme, A well written article. There is a very professional local person who is very involved in this. Rachel Hornsby from Hornsby and Co at San Remo is doing good things. Might be worth a phone call

Tim Herring

11/12/2020 06:50:43 pm

Nice one Graeme, I think we need a change in Australia. It seems the Federal Government wants to make anyone feel guilty for accepting a helping hand when it's needed - whether for a pension, social housing or unemployment. As a human being, helping anyone with a leg-up is a natural thing to do, not a chance to make someone feel ashamed. We have along way to go.

Beth Banks, Jessica Harrison and Geoff Ellis on Behalf of Housing Matters

12/12/2020 06:51:19 am

Wonthaggi grew from a collection of tents on the edge of a coalmine. The first 100 hundred houses in Wonthaggi were built by the State Government's Mines Department in 1910. As bouts of prosperity and growth are punctuated by downturns and recessions, the Wonthaggi community has always looked after its disadvantaged members through collective and co-operative initiatives such as the Miners’ Dispensary, Wonthaggi Cooperative Store, The Union Theatre, The Workman’s Club and The Hospital.

Today, as we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, many of our people are in very precarious circumstances. Unemployment has risen while severe underemployment continues. The rising cost of private rentals puts severe financial pressure on young families.

Many more people are chasing hours and working multiple jobs to scrape up the next rental or mortgage payment. Generally, rents are rising and increasing numbers of people, these days more often women with little superannuation, are on the brink of homelessness.

In Bass Coast homelessness my take the form of coach surfing, sleeping in cars, sleeping rough or camping in our wetlands and foreshore reserves. A new, transient, form of Tent Town is evolving as service providers struggle to meet the needs of our people.
Earlier this year our locally based action group, Housing Matters, facilitated an affordable housing forum at the Wonthaggi Town Hall. We were overwhelmed at the response as over 60 concerned people, many representing a diverse range of community groups, came together and workshopped possible solutions to this growing crisis. Two Bass Coast Councillors were active participants in this forum.

An action plan was formed though this had to be put on hold due to the pandemic.

With the easing of restrictions, Housing Matters has recommenced this community driven campaign for more public housing in Bass Coast, most urgently in Wonthaggi.

We welcome the State Government’s recent announcement of ‘at least’ $25million for affordable housing in our Shire. State Housing Minister Richard Wynne made particular mention of Bass Coast, which he acknowledged as an area of high need in regional Victoria.
The announcement has been warmly welcomed by Bass MP Jordan Crugnale, who has stated that there is a pressing need for social housing in the area.

The Housing Matters forum generated a strong call for more local Public Housing. Public land should be used for public housing, managed by the Government through DHHS. Given the differences in the lived experiences of tenants in public housing vs community housing across Victoria, we urge the Government to ensure that regulation across both types of housing is consistent and fair, so that tenants are treated equally no matter who their landlord is. This includes equitable rent setting, fair tenancy selection, modification and repairs.

We take this opportunity to reiterate the advantages of Public Housing (PH) over Community Housing (CoH)
1. PH rents are set at 25% of the tenant`s income. CoH rents can be up to 30% of the tenant`s income; the providercan charge significant administrative fees as well.
2. PH rents definitely get adjusted if the tenant`s income varies. In CoH, if the tenant`s income falls, the policy is often silent on this.
3. PH tenants have security of tenure. CoH tenants may be evicted, as would any private tenant, at the expiry of their lease.
4. Everyone who meets the PH income test are eligible and are eventually accepted into PH, whereas CoH providers can cherry pick the large majority of their tenants.
5. Conditions in PH are set by the rules of the DHHS. Conditions in CoH are determined by the particular provider
6. PH is managed directly by the Government. CoH is legally overseen by a Government Registrar.
7. Enforcement of PH conditions is relatively straightforward.
8. Alterations to premises for disabled tenants is done for PH tenants at no charge. CoH could require the tenant to pay.

We believe that homelessness is more likely to be reduced by increased Public Housing. There is a shortage of emergency accommodation in Bass Coast following the closure of the Miner’s Rest Caravan Park.

Housing Matters will soon be circulating a petition that calls on Bass Coast Council and The State Government to ensure that we have secure Public Housing that will provide long term benefit to our local community.

We ask for the community to show their support for our call for

• Immediate purchase of houses or buildings that are suitable for emergency accommodation, across the Shire, to be managed by a service provider.

• Assurances from Bass Coast Shire Council and the State Government that the $25,000,000 and any further funding for housing, goes toward Public Housing.

Get On Board !

Geoff Ellis on behalf of the Housing Matters Executive Committee

A few home truths

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