Millers Point tenants make their point

Millers Point tenants have made submissions to the NSW State Government as it continues to review social housing in the area.

Two groups have made submissions: the Millers Point Public Housing Tenants Committee (MPPHTC), and the Committee of Residents Elected by Millers Point, Dawes Point and the Rocks (CoRE). They take different approaches, but both are strong testaments to the local community's determination that social housing in Millers Point must be retained. We've read them, and commend them both.

The MPPHTC's submission is straightforward: keep Millers Point as social housing – and, in particular, as public housing. Amongst other things, they make an interesting point about security of tenure and expectations. Long-term tenants at Millers Point – some of them go back many decades, even generations – recall being assured that they should regard their homes as theirs for life. This assurance was given by the previous government landlord of the properties, Maritime Services, when many of the tenants or their families worked in maritime industries or other occupations in what was in some respects a government town. Tenants say they've regard that expectation of security like other people might regard superannuation: as security in their post-work lives.

The CoRE submission also recommends, in the first place, keeping Millers Point as public housing. But CoRE presents an alternative recommendation: if Housing NSW must get out of Millers Point, let tenants stay put and bring a community housing provider in. With the pro bono assistance of the consulting company Sphere, they've crunched the numbers and shown that a community housing provider, with increased rental revenues from tenants' receipt of Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and a limited program of property sales (between 35 and 66 sales over five years, depending on the scenario), could repair the remaining properties to an appropriate standard and manage them as social housing on a sustainable basis.

It is fair to say that not everyone in Millers Point is at ease with the idea of any further property sales, or a different type of social housing provider – but the fact that the CoRE tenants are prepared to do some hard thinking and look at uneasy options says a lot about their commitment to keeping social housing in Millers Point. It is an impressive proposal and deserves further investigation with collaboration from all stakeholders.

Minto redevelopment update

Thanks to our friends at Minto Residents Action Group (MRAG) for this latest update.

"Minto redevelopment is less than halfway through the project – even though on paper the plans are complete and they are just waiting on money to be released. The MRAG believe that we should endeavour to “keep them honest”.  Announced in 2002, started in approx. 2006 and predicted to finish in 2015.  It has already been put back at least 12 months.  Working Together in Minto (a human services project coordinated by HNSW) has withdrawn and the Minto Renewal Forum has ceased.  MRAG have been asked to join the Community Reference Group which will be formed by the new group working in Minto - Macarthur Diversity Services Initiative (MDSI) which so far do not have a worker. Our best alternative is inviting (Renewal, Land and Housing) and (Landcom) to our Minto RAG meetings. They do come when invited."

WHAT WE WERE TOLD (PROMISED)	WHERE WE ARE AT (AND WHAT HAS CHANGED)
Over 55/seniors units      - 120	We have 20.    Construction of 60 more units have started, with possibility of further 40 to start depending on funds availability.  With these I believe (but cannot find proof) we were told that each complex would have a community room, even though normally there had to be 24/25 units per complex.  Of the remaining complexes (40 – 20 – 22 and 18) only the one with 40 will have a community room – and the others may have an undercover area for entertaining.  At this stage all will have lifts.
Two bedroom Ballot  - 102 (There were 111 families in ballot)	There are 20 two bedroom cottages completed with 4 more in the late stages –so there are 78 more to come.  Integrated Housing was planned around the parks and social housing tenants were to occupy about ratio 2:3.   Because of difficulty with Integrated Housing they had to change the plans and sell as individual lots meaning that Landcom lost some lots and then because it was 50/50 HNSW gave 4 lots back to Landcom so we are now short 4 houses around Redfern Park.  We were told that these will be added to the South side of Minto.   I am told by the Housing office in Campbelltown (who control the ballot list) that they are in contact with people on the list and there are people who are happy where they are so will not be taking up the offer…. No numbers.  Because some of the two story places around the parks are unsatisfactory for people on the list Housing has had to divert further down the list.  With uncertainty as to funding and timing of construction for 2 bedroom cottages, consideration is being given to use the 2 bedroom seniors as suitable offers for those eligible from the ballot.
Five bedroom homes - approx. 7	None have been started but plans for 4 have been approved on the north side in Gawler Ave.  A fifth cottage will be placed on south side.
Existing 3 and 4 bedroom cottages – approximately 127 with an additional 50 to be sold	Work is in progress on the cottages bounded by Guernsey, Mortimer, Gawler and Benham with a budget of approx. $80,000 per property on average. The families living in these cottages have had to put up with some dreadful times – some were told they were not losing anything only to have workmen in the next day ripping out their gardens. The civil works have dug their yards up to put in a new drainage system and then not connected them to it only to have their properties flood everytime it rains. Three properties in Piper Way are to be demolished and negotiations were proceeding with the tenants. These will be included in the 50 cottages that are to be sold. On the other side (Pendergast) it has been deferred for a while and will be done in two different sections. I hope that the journey will be more pleasant for them.  LAHC and UGNSW have advised that lessons learnt from northern side will be used to ensure there is less impact on residents; however, there will be disruptions during construction.

Apollo estate (East Dubbo) to be sold

A different sort of social housing estate redevelopment: public housing tenants at the Apollo estate in East Dubbo have been informed that their houses are to be put on the market for sale to individual buyers. The objective, says the NSW State Government, is to reduce the concentration of social housing in East Dubbo.

(Apollo House)

The Government says that about 60 properties will be sold, and that there are no plans to build any new social housing stock in Dubbo – so it is not just the concentration, but the absolute amount of social housing that will be reduced.

What will become of the tenants? They're invited to consider buying their houses when they come up for sale. The local MP is encouraging them to do so, noting:

Buying a house would bring with it the benefit of the pride of ownership.

Hmm. It looks like a fairly proud bunch of tenants who participated in the recent Building Stronger Communities program, which invested in a range of community planning activities; support services; education, training and employment opportunities; and landscaping and other physical improvements to the estate. This program wrapped up in 2011.

Those not buying can expect to be offered alternative social housing... but where?

If you've any news from the ground at East Dubbo, please let us know.

Millers Point in the news

Millers Point is in the news again, with an excellent article by Tim Barlass in the Sun-Herald that focuses on the residents of Millers Point, and some political and historical context by Evan Jones at New Matilda.

(Millers Point resident Robert Goodsell, 94. You'd like to think that he shouldn't have to worry about being evicted. Photo from the Sun-Herald.)

Not yet in the news is the outcome of the social impact assessment that was conducted recently for NSW Land and Housing Corporation, as part of the NSW State Government's review, announced in October last year, of its continuing ownership of the Millers Point properties. 

 

We understand that a draft report is with LAHC. The stated intention of the SIA consultant was that the drafted report should be made public, for discussion and feedback, before the final report goes in to LAHC. We look forward with interest to seeing the draft.

 

Residents’ Voices Book Project

Interested in redevelopments of social housing estates? You may like to keep in touch with the Residents’ Voices Project. 

Residents’ Voices is a global network where social housing residents are the experts.  Two current projects are a website and book.

The Residents’ Voices website provides a resident-led forum for tenants to share their experience and knowledge of being a social or public housing tenant and, where necessary, to challenge the views of non-residents. Through this website you can get involved in a redevelopment debate, contribute to an existing Residents’ Voices project or start a new project. You will have the opportunity to highlight the issues that are important to you and your community and to share your stories with other tenants in different streets, states and countries. The website also has video snap shots.

Residents, community workers and researchers from Inner Sydney, Western Sydney and Chicago are also collaboratively writing a book that challenges the misrepresentations of public housing tenants and estates. This book is about challenging policy assumptions and validating the experiences of residents. 

The book will outline a suite of public housing tenants experiences and observations that critically investigate poverty, place and disadvantage. Drawing on empirical case studies from the US and Australia the contributions will challenge conventional approaches to researching poverty, place and disadvantage. The central aim of the book is to challenge the representations and misrepresentations of public housing tenants and estates by validating the narratives and knowledge of residents.

Over the last decade policy-makers in the US, UK and Australia – often through a public, private or non-government housing manager – have set out to ‘de-concentrate’ poor households. These policy interventions have been justified and undertaken in the absence of conclusive research data about the many drivers of concentrations of disadvantage. International inquiry into poverty, place and disadvantage has been dominated by conventional research methodologies that have failed to determine whether the geographic concentration of disadvantaged households exacerbates disadvantage or contributes to the reproduction of poverty.

When participatory research methodologies are used to collaborate with the residents of so-called ‘disadvantaged places’, questions and definitions of poverty, place and disadvantage are radically restructured. The book will argue for an approach to understanding and addressing disadvantage that draws on the knowledge of the residents themselves.  Currently there is a call out for residents to participate in the book.

For more information about the book project contact Dallas Rogers.  

Telephone: 0432 295 605

Email: d.rogers@uws.edu.au

The broader university research project that Resident Voices is part of is being supported by the Australian Research Council, St Vincent de Paul Society, The Tenants' Union of NSW, the University of Western Sydney, Flinders University and Centre for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University, Chicago.

Anzac Parade South: consultation

As we mentioned in our last post the NSW State Government is proposing to increase heights and density along Anzac Parade South.

Kingsford and Maroubra from the air (photo: Bidgee)

Some social housing estates are included in this process.

The Government is about to start consulting with the community on these projects and like Randwick Council, who provided this information in a recent e-news bulletin, we think it is important residents know what is going on and how to be involved.

Find out about the consultation processes in the Draft NSW Urban Activation Precincts Guideline.

We liked the following in the Draft NSW Urban Activation Precincts Guideline:

“Community engagement is important when investigating potential changes to a precinct. In addition to the formal public exhibition process, community reference groups may also be established where the Department considers it appropriate. These groups should include a broad membership from the local community. The purpose of these groups will be for representative members of all sections of the community to access information and provide better informed feedback throughout the investigation process. Other community engagement techniques may also be used, tailored to the individual precincts.”

We think major changes to social housing make it appropriate to have a community reference group. Local communities know what local communities need.

South Randwick Redevelopment Developments

The Anzac Parade South Urban Activation Precinct (UAP) was recently announced by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. The UAP aims to revitalise existing areas to deliver homes, jobs and infrastructure.

Maroubra Junction, intersection of Anzac Parade and Maroubra Road ©Department of Planning and Infrastructure

The result of the process will be a proposed rezoning for some of the precinct. This may include medium or high density apartments within an easy walk of public transport.

Housing NSW have provided an update on what may or may not happen to 2,500 social housing dwellings in the UAP over the next 20 years. Read more what they say on a factsheet here.

Yes, it is important that governments and communities plan for the future.  However, it often seems to us at the TU that governments seem to take a much more detailed interest in the lives and homes of its citizens in social housing than other citizens.

While no one can argue with the need for appropriate development and increased housing, we hope the government agencies involved don't forget that research demonstrates the disturbing effects that dislocation can have for people living with disadvantage, the elderly and those on very low incomes.  The experts on these impacts are the members of the communities effected, whether that is Randwick, Minto, Airds, Erskinville or Riverwood.  We should all remember to listen to them.