Housing activists are trying to stop demolition teams from starting to fence off public housing units at Waterloo public housing estate on the corner of Cope and McEvoy Streets, Waterloo.
The Chris Minns Labor government wants to demolish and privatise 150 units in a low-rise section of this post-war estate, after having promised before the 2023 election that his government would preserve public housing.
On Sunday 24 May, around 200 people rallied to highlight the wanton destruction of perfectly liveable apartments in a housing crisis.
Protesters then occupied the corner of Cope and McEvoy Streets for the evening and watched Waterloo and Rocking the Foundations. In the morning, activists stopped demolition teams fencing in tenants’ backyards, assisted by Greens MP Jenny Leong. Police were called but did not arrest or move protesters on.
Karyn Brown, a resident of Waterloo South, told the protest that Homes NSW had letterboxed tenants with the news of the demolition. She said 15 people were still living in those blocks “because they had nowhere else to go.”
Rachel Evans, a housing activist and the Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Heffron, said the destruction is “social vandalism”.
“More than 67,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing. Over 150,000 people are homeless across this continent and 37,000 people in NSW alone. One million properties are empty every night and the government is set to fail in its Housing Australia Future Fund target of 55,000 new social and affordable homes by 2029.”
Brown, who is also a spokesperson for Action for Public Housing, said NSW Labor “is making the housing crisis worse by demolishing my community’s homes”.
She said that Phase 1, 2 and 3 will evict 750 tenants from their homes, which will be bulldozed for the private developer Stockland to build 3,300 homes; 50% or 1,650 of them will be over-priced, luxury homes.
“They’re saying 20% will be ‘affordable’ housing, and 30% of the 3,300 will be ‘social’ housing. Only 7% of this ‘affordable housing’ is in perpetuity. That’s not good enough.
When Waterloo tenants get evicted, we get shoved right up to the top of the public housing waiting list and we get a home but at the expense of everyone else who is on the list.”
Evans, another Action for Public Housing spokesperson, said while federal Labor is making out that its budget has brought about the most comprehensive housing reforms Australia has seen in generations, it only peels back a small fraction of property investor tax concessions, worth a staggering $29 billion a year to the public purse.
The occupation of Waterloo South, McEvoy and Cope St is ongoing. The community and unions are encouraged to attend and show support.
Contact Karyn Brown and Rachel Evans for comment.
Hi
The people who are really struggling need the help from the government.
No one deserves to be homeless or no save house.
Government needs to help to get homeless people save house and help to find jobs and need that extra support…
Help the Australians more
GO WELL