TODAY NSW Community Services Minister Pru Goward announced the imposition of a ‘bed tax’ on public housing tenants with a ‘spare’ bedroom.
This is part of an ongoing process of harassment and displacement of long term public housing tenants as the NSW government attempts to shift housing responsibility onto the non-government and private sectors.
Why should public housing tenants be forced to move out of homes they have occupied for years, sometimes decades, and into smaller accommodation, which may not have been as well maintained as their own homes.
In Glebe a song and a newsletter, The Glebe Grapevine, have challenged Housing NSW’s widespread demolition by neglect of its public housing stock.
All over Glebe fences erected in the 1980s have collapsed despite the best efforts of tenants. Similarly the ‘hanging gardens’ of Glebe attest to the poor condition of much of the guttering installed in the same era.
Simple repairs carried out in a timely way would prevent the historic Glebe Estate falling into decay. Residents have come up with ingenious ways to hold up their fences. The song 50 ways to hold your fence up is a celebration of those attempts.
The link to watch the movie! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qWGM5nU9NY
Housing NSW has a massive backlog of repair and maintenance needs in Glebe and all over the State.
Housing NSW collects an estimated $1,000 million per year in rent yet spends only $400 million on maintenance, repair and upgrading of its properties.
What’s happening to the rest of the money, Pru? Hands Off Glebe fights for the rights of public housing tenants, to stop the NSW government selling off public housing, and to prevent high rise, high density development in this heritage suburb.
More info: http://www.handsoffglebe.org/
See also: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/vacant-bedroom-charge-those-who-wont-move-told...