Joe Toscano: Defend And Extend Public Housing - new Campaign

Ed. CDB: Just got this news, all in pdf files, unfortunately, which are a lot of work to transcribe and reformat. Roughly reformatted below. First, the relevant contact details. More details about campaign and ALP intentions that need to be combatted below that:

0439395489
PO Box 20
Parkville Vic 3052

https://facebook.com/DefendAndExtendPublicHousing

We understand the Victorian Labor Cabinet has just endorsed a decision to privatise 70% of Victoria’s public housing stock.

Housing affordability is rapidly becoming the pre-eminent issue in Australia in the first quarter of the 21st century.

Please see further information below and how YOU can HELP.
We encourage you to join us in a campaign which, if supported by you, has the potential to force the state government to abandon its plans to privatise the public housing sector.

All the best,
Dr. Joseph Toscano / Joint Convener Defend And Extend Public Housing
Secretary / Convenor Public Interests Before Corporate Interests (PIBCI)

HELP NEEDED!!

The Victorian Labor Party will be holding their State Conference at the Moonee Valley Racecourse
Conference Centre, Burston Stand – McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds 3039 (1 km / 15 minute
walk from Moonee Ponds station) on Saturday 12 th and Sunday 13 th November.
DAEPH require people to hand out the attached leaflet from:

 8:00am on Saturday 12 th November outside the conference site.

If you can help, please pick up leaflets at the Rally 11:30am – 1:30pm Thursday 10 th November
on the steps of Parliament House.

This is a good opportunity to let ALP delegates know how out of touch the Andrews led Labor
government is becoming with the Victorian public.

All the best,
Dr. Joseph Toscano / Joint Convener Defend And Extend Public Housing

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A MESSAGE TO ALL VICTORIAN ALP DELEGATES
ABOUT HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

The Andrews Government recently made a welcome announcement that it would build more Public
Housing, in Preston.

We hope this represents an about-turn on signs that it would privatise much of Public Housing, including:

 Housing Minister Martin Foley saying in the Age newspaper that give-aways of Public Housing were
being seriously considered (The Age, October 18 2015, “Sweeping changes presented on public
housing in Victoria”, by Benjamin Priess)

 Destruction of Public Housing estate in Ashburton, most to be sold to private developers, no Public
Housing, only “Social” Housing (The Age, September 6 2015, “Doors close on Markham Avenue
estate amid foundations for public-private mix”, by Josh Gordon)

 Announcement of plans to destroy part of Public Housing estates then sell it off to private developers
in Prahran (The Age, August 24 2015, “High-rise towers to remain in Prahran public housing estate”,
by Benjamin Priess)

 Refusal by Minister Foley to meet with representatives of Public Housing tenant groups such as
Friends of Public Housing and of homelessness groups, such as Homeless Persons Union Victoria,
and vilification of HPUV when it tried to highlight the issue of Public Housing.

(www.savepublichousing.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/our-grievances.html, Oct 2016 by Fiona Ross).
WHY IS PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING A CONCERN?

 Much Public Housing has already been privatised by transferring management/ownership of it to the
Private “Social/Community/Affordable” Housing Sector, or selling it off to the private sector.

 Public Housing tenants and the homeless want to stay in Public Housing. Rents are set at 25% of
their income, they have security of tenure, and all are accepted if they fall below a certain income.
None of that is true with the Private “Social/Community/Affordable” alternative.

 Defend And Extend Public Housing is a campaign to stop privatisation & to build more Public Housing
Activist groups such as Friends of Public Housing Victoria are going onto public housing estates to alert
tenants of the policy of the Andrews Government, and the threat to the security of their homes.
The Australian Greens have a policy opposing privatisation, and of building more Public Housing. In the
last election they doorknocked Public Housing Estates, likely leading to their narrow victory in Prahran.
Many ALP-held seats in inner Melbourne have significant Public Housing populations, which could
determine the outcome of the next election – in favour of the Australian Greens.

This year, the Queensland ALP Government tore up the previous LNP contracts to privatise its Public
Housing, declaring that it was an essential service which it would continue to deliver.

DAEPH urges you to take up this issue with the Andrews Government, including at this 2016 State
Conference, and to join our campaign.

Howard Marosi / Committee Defend And Extend Public Housing
Co-Convenors: Dr. Joseph Toscano / Mr. John Tweg
Committee: Ms. Beryl Jarrett, Ms. Julie Jones, Mr. Roger Pereira, Ms. Fay Roth, Mr Howard Marosi

We encourage you to join us in a campaign which, if supported by you, has the potential to force the state government to abandon its plans to privatise the public housing sector.

All the best,
Dr. Joseph Toscano / Joint Convener Defend And Extend Public Housing
Secretary / Convenor Public Interests Before Corporate Interests (PIBCI)

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NOT IN OUR TIME
We understand the Victorian Labor Cabinet has just endorsed a decision to privatise 70% of Victoria’s
public housing stock. Under the guise of improving “community”, “social” and “affordable” housing, in
Victoria, they have agreed to transfer the management and ownership of the majority of public housing to
“community”, “social” and “affordable” housing groups that are privately owned and run. The transfer of
taxpayer funded public housing to non-government organisations deals a death blow to the idea access
to affordable housing for all Australians who require it is primarily a state and federal government
responsibility.

A strong vibrant public housing sector not only ensures all Australians, who cannot access the private
housing market, have access to affordable housing, it also places downward pressure on private rents and
helps first home buyers to enter the property market as many investors will sell their private rental
properties if rents fall.

Having a strong public housing sector that is owned and managed by government helps to decrease crime
and family violence as well as provide a stable environment that gives children the opportunity to access
educational opportunities they would not normally have access to. A strong public housing sector can be
financed by using a proportion of the revenue raised by land taxes and stamp duty to maintain and update
existing stock and build new public housing in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

We will be holding public rallies on the steps of the Victorian State Parliament, Spring St Melbourne,
between 11:30am – 1:30pm on:

 Thursday 10 th November  Thursday 8 th December
to demonstrate to the government, the Opposition and the cross benchers in the Legislative Council our
opposition to governments outsourcing their responsibility to provide affordable housing for all Victorians
to a private and not for profit non-government sector that, at best, will only be able to provide for the needs
of sections of the community, not all Victorians.

We encourage you to join us in a campaign which, if supported by you, has the potential to force the state
government to abandon its plans to privatise the public housing sector.

Dr. Joseph Toscano / Joint Convener Defend And Extend Public Housing

This campaign is being co-ordinated by Public Interests Before Corporate Interests (PIBCI www.pibci.net )
and is endorsed by PIBCI, Friends of Public Housing (Victoria), Homeless Persons Union Victoria and the
Wednesday Action Group. We expect many more organisations to endorse this campaign over the coming
weeks. Let us know if you wish to endorse the Defend And Extend Public Housing campaign.

You can help by coming along to the rallies that have been planned, writing to or emailing your local, state
and federal representative, advertising these rallies among your family and friends and using social media
to bring this issue to the attention of as many people as possible. This is a campaign Victorians and all
Australians can ill afford to lose – JOIN US NOW!!

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