PRESS RELEASE: Housing is a Human Right National Day of Action.
Saturday December 9 and Tuesday December 12: Save the Dates
What: ‘Housing is a Human Right’ national rallies and events
When: Saturday December 9 and Tuesday December 12: Gadi/Sydney, Tuckurimbah/ Lismore, Naarm/Melbourne, Kaurna-Yerta/Adelaide, Wiradjuri/Wagga Wagga
Demands: Save and Build More Public Housing; Freeze Rents
On International Human Rights Day weekend, public housing tenants, renters, homeless people, people with mortgages, unionists and community organisers are taking action to demand action for housing justice.
The housing crisis in Australia is the worst in living memory, coinciding with a soaring cost of living crisis.
At least 750,000 Australians are living in housing stress and an estimated 640,000 families are in desperate need of secure housing. Since the 2021 census, the homelessness rate across the country has at least doubled.
We are taking action on housing because federal and state governments are set to make the situation worse. In Victoria former Premier Daniel Andrews declared the demolition of 44 public housing towers just before he resigned. This plan will displace more than 10,000 people.
Instead of governments seeing housing and shelter as a fundamental human right they view housing as a commodity and a means to create wealth.
‘Housing is a Human Right’ rallies and actions across the country are calling on governments, federal, state and local to solve the housing crisis. We demand they:
1/ Deliver housing justice to First Nations communities as part of concrete programs for self-determination and community control
2/ Build more world class public housing
3/ Put an end to proposed demolitions of public housing
4/ Freeze rents and extend renters’ rights
5/ Fully fund flood and fire recovery to communities who have lost homes to climate disasters.
South Australia: quotes attributable to Samantha Skinner, 0448 261 068 Campaigns Coordinator Anti-Poverty Network South Australia:
‘We are protesting to freeze rents and build much more public housing. South Australia has seen significant progress towards fairer renting, especially in the recent banning of No-Cause Evictions. However, rents are still skyrocketing. Under the Labor government-led by Peter Malinauskas there is still no limit on how much rents can be increased. While we welcome the state government's commitment to building 564 new public homes, this is not enough. There are 17,000 people on the waiting list and according to recent research by Homelessness Australia we have a shortfall of 32,000 homes. Anti-Poverty Network SA demands an emergency two year rent-freeze followed by a system of rent control to ensure fair rent rises.’ Kaurna-Yerta/Adelaide Facebook event.
Wagga Wagga: Quotes attributable to Virginia Gawler, housing activist with Action for Public Housing NSW 0410 211 670
‘In Wagga Wagga we are taking action to coincide with the United Nations ’16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’. For women, gender-diverse members of the community and children - leaving domestic violence is a major cause of homelessness. Many have no alternative but to stay in violent situations. With a massive government-built well designed public housing program, women and gender-diverse people could safely leave violence. Join our actions and the grassroots campaign to deliver housing justice for our most marginalised community members.’ Wiradjuri/Wagga Wagga Facebook event.
Naarm/Melbourne: Quotes attributable to Jordan Armaou-Massoud, housing activist 0426 151 993
‘In Victoria, former Premier Daniel Andrews announced the state government's intention to demolish all 44 public housing towers. This plan will displace over 10,000 families. It is the worst assault on public housing and public land we have ever seen and the exact opposite of what is needed during a housing crisis. We demand that the government stop the demolition of the 44 public housing towers, save our public homes and land, and freeze and cap rents.' Naarm/ Victoria Facebook event.
Gadi/Sydney: Quote attributable to Karyn Brown, Waterloo South public housing tenant. 0432 409 711
‘In Sydney and NSW, the Chris Minns government has reneged on an anti-privatisation election promise, presided over the demolition of Arncliffe public housing and is threatening to demolish public housing estates in Waterloo, Glebe, South Eveleigh, Mascot and elsewhere.’
Gadi/Sydney:Quote attributable to Sarina Afa, Explorer Street, South Eveleigh public housing estate 0452 433 358
‘For more than 30 years I have been a proud tenant of 100% government owned public housing. For the last 26 of those years I have had the pleasure of being a tenant in the Explorer Street Estate Eveleigh. The joy and enjoyment of life that I’ve enjoyed for decades has been immensely impacted by these government decisions. I will never sit back and accept blindly that these proposals are the right move by our government.’ Gadi/Sydney facebook event.
Northern Rivers: Quote attributable to Madeleine Smith, housing activist 0417710697
‘In the Northern Rivers, nearly two years after the floods, more than 1,000 people are still in temporary accommodation, and just 70 of the eligible 1,100 homes have had a buyback settled. In the Page Electoral Division, more than 68% of renters were already in rental stress before the last two years of relentless rent increases. We want all levels of government to prioritise the building of more public housing, freeze rents, ban no-grounds evictions and fully fund flood recovery.’ Tuckurimbah/ Lismore Facebook event.
Organised and supported by: Homes Not Prisons (Victoria), Renters Action Housing Union (Victoria), Anti-Poverty Centre, The Save Public Housing Collective (Victoria), Anti-Poverty Network South Australia, Combined Retired Union Members Association (CRUMA NSW), 100% Public Housing Coalition (Victoria), Greens, Socialist Alliance, Australian Communist Party, Flat Out Inc, Victorian Socialists, Community Dignity Respect, Friends of Erskineville, Action for Public Housing (NSW), Retired Unionist Group Sydney, Housing Matters - Wonthaggi, Affordable Housing Party of Australia, House You
Event details:
Gadigal/Sydney
Explorer Street Estate, 11.30am Contact: Sarina 0452 433 358 Karyn 0432 409 711
Lismore
The Quad, 110 Magellan Street, 10.30am Madeleine Smith, Northern Rivers housing activist 0417710697
Naarm/Melbourne
State Library Victoria, 1pm Contact: 0426 151 99
Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide
Parliament House, 12pm Samantha Skinner, 0448 261 068
Wagga Wagga, Dec 12
Wagga Wagga Visitor Information Centre, 183 Tarcutta Street, 12.45pm Virginia Gawler 0410 211 670