Lets talk about housing and homelessness.

[lind9650]

There were 105,237 homeless in 2011 in Australia.

I believe the number has risen enormously since then. This is a disgrace to our country, and the politicians don't want to know about it.

With house sales and rentals at staggering unafordable prices the problem of homeless people will continue to grow..

Something will have to be done to change this. Federal and State Governments give permits for billionaire investments, but don't care that the average working person will never be able to own their own home. Low rental housing for low income families are being pulled down to make room for high rise, multymillion apartmrnts to be built.

I fear and feel for the younger generation, for the future of our grandchildren and their children. How can a young couple on average wages save AU$200,000.- for a deposit towards a housing loan when their rent is AU$450.- per week or more? Not everyone has well off parents to help or parents with whom they can live while saving.

What is the answer?

Erica

[chameleon54]

Erica, I think the problems are so large and so entrenched that the only way change will come is with a change in societies attitudes and ways of living at the most fundamental level.

This requires

* changes in where we live ( decentralisation )

* changes in housing types

* changes in what we regard as "good jobs" and how we work, particularly using the internet and working from home

* changes in how we live and work. Is living in a big city with millions of others and nothing but ashphalt, shiny shopping malls and traffic really better than living in a small or medium sized coastal town or hills area ?  If so why ? Sorry but I just dont get it.

* changes in attitudes to what is a "good" house.

* CHANGES IN POLICY FROM OUR GOVERNMENTS.

We also need to have a disscusion about our economy and population growth. The current model of ever increasing population growth to support ecenomic growth is the biggest Ponzi scheme ever invented. We are starting to see the results of this with massive preasure on our finite natural resources, ridiculous prices for houses and land in major cities and increasing preasure and levels of mental health problems, particularly with young people.  I suspect the family you mention would be grappling these issues at the moment 

Our expectations ( through advertising ) and population growth are being pushed by big corporations in co-hoots with government. Growth is king !!!. In reality we are being sold out to the ecenomic interests of big business and a few very wealthy individuals.   

[***super_nova***]

Simple fact is that comparing to average wage average house now costs several times more than it did 50 years ago. 

Going to small country towns where there are no jobs is no answer does not matter how cheap the rents or property prices.  I am sure that I heard that people who move somewhere where there are no jobs may not be able to even get the dole.  Unemployed people are being told that they need to move where the jobs are, and young people from small towns move to the cities. 

Sometime ago I spoke to a social worker from the housing commission who told me that they do have set aside emergency housing for families who truly need it.  But they have to be careful that the family is really in emergency situation and not just trying to jump the queue. 

The answer is more social housing.  The best way to do it is as was done here in Victoria when the government released area for development certain% had to be social housing.  One example was the development of the sales yards in Flemington VIC; they build mixture of up-market townhouses, and some mid range and some that were turned over to the housing commission. 

[lloydslights]

Some people just won't own their own home.  My grandparents didn't.  My spinster aunt rented.  My daughter rents with her DH.  2 of my sisters (1 with 3 children) rented for a very, very long time.

The reasons.  Having kids prior to financial stability.  Single woman's income.  Spouse paying child maintenance.  Lived the "good life".  The expectation to own a home just wasn't/isn't there.

The sacrifices I made to own a home.  No car.   Catch bus and train.  Fill half a small wardrobe with my shoes and outfits.  No dining out.  No going away on holidays.  No phone.  No TV.  No Life.   Joined a library.  Given fabric or wool as gifts to make my clothing.

There are risks as outlined by Erica in people losing a job when paying off a home loan.  What would happen if the Banks call in all the loans?  It could happen!

DEB

. 

[chameleon54]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

Simple fact is that comparing to average wage average house now costs several times more than it did 50 years ago. 

Going to small country towns where there are no jobs is no answer does not matter how cheap the rents or property prices.  I am sure that I heard that people who move somewhere where there are no jobs may not be able to even get the dole. 

Many regional and rural towns have a major need for doctors and health proffesionals, teachers and workers in agricultural industries, but city people SIMPLY REFUSE TO GO THERE. The need is so great for skilled workers in regional areas that many state governments actually offer higher wages and housing allowances to encourage city people to move.

Unemployed people are being told that they need to move where the jobs are, and young people from small towns move to the cities. 

Sometime ago I spoke to a social worker from the housing commission who told me that they do have set aside emergency housing for families who truly need it.  But they have to be careful that the family is really in emergency situation and not just trying to jump the queue. 

The answer is more social housing.  The best way to do it is as was done here in Victoria when the government released area for development certain% had to be social housing.  One example was the development of the sales yards in Flemington VIC; they build mixture of up-market townhouses, and some mid range and some that were turned over to the housing commission. 

This is a difficult area due to the NIMBY factor. I have to acknowldge that I am torn by this one. On the one hand it may benefit the recipients of the public housing, but it often causes major disruptions for others living nearby. We have two public owned houses across the road from our back fence. We have had a pedophile living in one and could not let our kids outside unsupervised when they where younger. If neighbours kids from a few hundred metres away wanted to come to play, we would have to walk them too and fro.

OK the guy is not the full six pack, and needs public housing, but placing him in an area where there are young families and a school within a few hundred metres is not really the answer. The other house has drug dealers living in it. Cars come and go constantly at night as do the police.. Their children are neglected and roam the streets at night, graffitying neighbours fences and even a neighbours commercial truck one night with a giant falic symbol. They also torment and abuse the pedo who as I have said has mental health issues.

I,m not sure what the answer with public housing is, it is a very difficult area with no easy answers.  I,m not entirely convinced putting it in the middle of working family orientated suburbs is really working.

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[lyndal1838]

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@lind9650 wrote:

Sorry I was not hre last night to join the conversation.

I am astounded about some flippant coments. If you read the OP correctly, you will realise that I am comparing todys housing dillema with the future to come. As housing becomes more and more unafordable, there will be more homeless people (even families) in future.

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Erica I would appreciate you reading my post again.....I DID NOT make a flippant comment.

I merely asked if the flippant comment was appropriate.

[lind9650]

Sorry, Lyndal !

I just replied after your message. I did not mean your post.

Look back and see the inane remarks some posters made. One would think they are silly High School kids that have no idea what life is all about.

It must be wonderful to be smug in your own house and not caring about anyone else.

Erica

[freddie*rooster]

They need to do away with public housing ghettos and increase the rental assistance to enable low income earners and centrelink recipients to rent in the private sector.

[crusader-rabbit48]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

ever since i saw those tewwible pictures of the houses falling into the sea in the new south wales storm i've been so wowwied about those poor peeeples, to be made homeless like that its so heartbreaking.

who'd of thawt living so close tew da sea would be so bad?

lets all take a moment........ok dats long enuff, you cans laugh now....teeheee

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[the_great_she_elephant]

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@freddie*rooster wrote:

They need to do away with public housing ghettos and increase the rental assistance to enable low income earners and centrelink recipients to rent in the private sector.

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When Mr Elephant and I moved to Perth in the 1960s a licensed tradesmanwith a couple of kids  was eligible for a Housing Commission home - either to rent or buy. I know this because Mr Elephant  was an electrician and we had our names down for one before buying privately. (the house we bought was ex Housing Commission and we still had to be eligible for government housing  to buy it privately.)

Over the years fewer and fewer Housing Commission houses were built, more and more were sold off and the eligibility criteria became stricter and stricter until eventually only those on welfare qualified.  That's when they started to become 'ghettos'.

[chameleon54]

Some interesting thoughts there She El.  If the Government was to develop low cost housing on its own redundant land instead of selling it off to private developers, it should be able to produce large numbers of cheaper houses for both private and public housing. This would stop the NIMBY effect of forcing public housing onto existing established suburbs.

Private buyers purchasing low cost housing in these projects would know they where buying into developments with large numbers of public housing and the positive effects of interspersing public housing with private could still be achieved without impacting residents in existing suburbs.

You would expect that the government should be able to build a couple of hundred houses in one place at one time very cost effectively.