WATERLOO: I am a member of the Waterloo public housing community and have been for many years. It can be upsetting to witness the stigma that people who live in my situation are useless members of society with no ambitions. This is an untrue stereotype.
The majority of my co-residents are aged or disability pensioners and unable to work. All are low-income earners, who cannot afford the outrageously high Sydney rents.
Politicians state that despite the increasing cost of living, rents need to be higher and they plan to sell the Waterloo housing estate to new owners, who will renovate the buildings, allocating 70 per cent to private and 30 per cent to public housing. Sadly, the NSW government appears to have lost touch with the people and with how critical the housing problem is, particularly in Sydney.
Waterloo housing estate has given us life-changing opportunities and has allowed us to create loving bonds of friendship. We care about each other very deeply. Because of this love, we cannot let this happen.
From a young age, I have been taught by my mother to maintain a good reputation, as it is of utmost importance, and vital to earn the respect of others in your community. When I asked my mother why, she would reply, “It’s just part of life” and tell me to always be proud of myself, where I live, my heritage, and my character.
The culture we have in Waterloo is one of belief in ourselves and in each other, and we are thankful for the warmth of the people around us. There are many kind-hearted people in the estate who have assisted me in upholding this belief. We all share tight bonds to our home. Therefore it is vital we stand together to protect it and to assist others who need to gain access to housing.
Presently, the housing situation is at a crisis point and more public housing should be constructed for those in need, rather than land being sold to private buyers.
The Waterloo community is highly caring and kind. I still remember the first day I arrived at the Marton building. I was unloading my car but I had overloaded my trailer and one of the boxes started to fall. Before I could stop what I was doing to save the box from falling, a young couple ran over to help me. This is but one example of the generosity I have received and witnessed.
We are all proud of being Australians and living together in harmony with respect for our community and, most of all, knowing that we are all equal. We don’t need private owners to model harmony for us or show us what we already have.
