Good people live here

Kiriel said :

One of the ways in which Canberra has succeeded with public housing compared to many cities is that it has traditionally spread public housing throughout the city- there are government houses in Yarralumla for example. The few failures occurred when when huge numbers of disadvantaged people were housed all together, creating slums. Whether housed in inner or outer Canberra, it is important that people are placed where they can live with dignity, not treated like lepers to be cast out.

Well they are about to repeat those mistakes along Flemington Rd. Among the apartment blocks etc there are one or two developments that look like Bernie Court all over again.

One of the ways in which Canberra has succeeded with public housing compared to many cities is that it has traditionally spread public housing throughout the city- there are government houses in Yarralumla for example. The few failures occurred when when huge numbers of disadvantaged people were housed all together, creating slums. Whether housed in inner or outer Canberra, it is important that people are placed where they can live with dignity, not treated like lepers to be cast out.

Primal said :

Ryoma said :

My point being – when the ABC flats are redeveloped, where does the ACT government (and the Canberra community generally) intend for the people currently living in this complex to go?

Crace.

Is that in Gungahlin?

I don’t get how anyone could think it a bad idea to move public housing outside of the Canberra CBD. I am not advocating for creating a giant Gungahlin slum, but it is inconceivable why there is such a massive public housing population in the most desirable location (for most) in Canberra.

Firstly, we could increase the amount of public housing available by selling the land and relocating the current residents to a more cost effective suburb. Secondly, it would create opportunities for hard working tax payers to have the ability to reap the rewards of working hard and being studious with money.

Just to be clear, I fully believe that we have a responsibility to provide adequate shelter for people PROVEN to be at a disadvantage, but the men and women who contribute to the economy should always get a priority.

We need to give disadvantaged people shelter, but our public housing policies should not make it more desirable to stay unemployed and live in the CBD than to get a job and have to move to outer suburbs to survive.

Primal said :

Crace.

Or Franklin, Bonner, Wright, Harrison, or anywhere else where the land value is lower.
The significant rates / land tax from redeveloped ABC flats will help to pay for the maintenance of the new public housing in newer suburbs, and also boost the use of public transport.

Ryoma said :

My point being – when the ABC flats are redeveloped, where does the ACT government (and the Canberra community generally) intend for the people currently living in this complex to go?

Crace.

Minz said :

. Trials overseas (I think it was in Vancouver) have shown that it’s far cheaper (for them) to house a homeless person than pay for the increased medical costs being homeless incurs – and that’s without taking into account any of the less easily-measured benefits to society. If people don’t have a place to live, we all pay in some way.

So you are saying we should ship all the tenants to Vancouver? Good idea.

The money made by selling off all public housing should be enough to buy one-way ticket for the lot of them, with enough left over for a street festival for those of us who have been susidising their accommodation for decades.

Minz said :

Two things

a) The highest per capita rate of public housing doesn’t mean that we have enough public housing. Comparisons need to be done to need, not to other areas which likely don’t have enough public housing.

b) Trials overseas (I think it was in Vancouver) have shown that it’s far cheaper (for them) to house a homeless person than pay for the increased medical costs being homeless incurs – and that’s without taking into account any of the less easily-measured benefits to society. If people don’t have a place to live, we all pay in some way.

I don’t think there would be a public housing shortage if they regularly reassessed the tenant and told anyone who had improved circumstances to bugger off and rent in the private market….the idea is to support the needy in their time of need, not be a house for life.

Ryoma said :

I agree with much of what has been said, but as a city we need to make sure we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

My point being – when the ABC flats are redeveloped, where does the ACT government (and the Canberra community generally) intend for the people currently living in this complex to go?

At present, they have easy access to all the different facilities that Civic offers. Few of the other town centres can match it. And away from the town centres, in much of Canberra life gets even more difficult for those without a car, etc.

I sincerely hope that these people are not just dumped on a waiting list, or sent to the outer reaches of Canberra simply because there was money to be made in selling off such prime land. After all, it won’t be most of the public housing people who get to live in the redeveloped ABC space – but those in our community with the wealth to buy in such a fabulous location.

I don’t see why the outer reaches aren’t good enough for public housing but those shouldering their own mortgages and paying rates have to suck it up. There’s a lot of mortgagors out there who would like to live closer to the city centre.

Two things

a) The highest per capita rate of public housing doesn’t mean that we have enough public housing. Comparisons need to be done to need, not to other areas which likely don’t have enough public housing.

b) Trials overseas (I think it was in Vancouver) have shown that it’s far cheaper (for them) to house a homeless person than pay for the increased medical costs being homeless incurs – and that’s without taking into account any of the less easily-measured benefits to society. If people don’t have a place to live, we all pay in some way.