UP to 1200 public housing tenants in the state will be forced to pay market rent or move out as the state government quietly sets about removing rental caps that have been in place “forever”.
Vivienne Conn, chairwoman of the Braybrook, Maidstone and Sunshine Public Tenants Association, accused the government of stealth tactics in what she believes is the first step towards privatisation.
Rents are now capped at no more than 25 per cent of household income.
Ms Conn only became aware of the plans when she received a letter from the Department of Human Services and a phone call from the director of housing.
She said tenants started contacting her last week, fearful their rent could rise by more than $80 a week or $350 a month if they are not entitled to a rebate.
“At first we thought it was just for people who are working as a way of removing them from public housing, but there’s been other people who have received a letter who are disabled and old.” Ms Conn said.
“They haven’t said a word about this. No one has known about it.
“All it was was a phone call [from a department official] to these people to fill in a rental rebate form to see if they fit the criteria.
“They’re keeping all this so quiet. It’s all connected with the privatisation of public housing.”
The Hobsons Bay Public Tenants Association was unaware of letters going out to 1200 tenants last week.
A Williamstown public housing tenant, who did not want to be identified, said if his rent went up, “I’ll have to eat less, I suppose’’.
‘‘Think about helpless old critters like me who have to rely on soup kitchens, and they’re gone.”
But he didn’t oppose a DHS review, saying some tenants were rorting the system. “There’s one bloke renting and he’s got a property in New Zealand which he rents to the Australian government,” he said.
“There’s obviously dishonesty. One bloke told me he’s got three or four bank accounts.”
The man recalled talk about privatising Williamstown’s high-rise flats: “Nelson Heights has very nice units there, two bedrooms and all”.
In 2008, Liberal MP Bernie Finn lobbied his government “to begin the process of selling the housing ministry towers in Williamstown” and moving residents to ‘‘somewhere like Altona”.
Mr Finn this week said his views had not changed. “The Williamstown housing towers are an asset that’s not being fully utilised.”
DHS spokeswoman Ruth Ward said the aim of public housing was to help those in greatest need. “Removing rent caps for those paying market rent is intended to ensure that those no longer eligible for public housing pay actual market rent for the property they are in.”
There are 1358 social housing properties in Hobsons Bay, 2457 in Maribyrnong and 2028 in Brimbank. Social housing is a combination of public and community housing.
