Sit-in protest over housing

Facebook campaign gains strength

TASMANIANS under pressure because of the state’s housing crisis are preparing a sit-in rally next month.

Kate, who has asked for her surname to be withheld, started a Facebook group on Tuesday to allow people to share their stories of Hobart’s housing crisis after experiencing housing stress herself and hearing countless anecdotes from friends and relatives.

The Hobartians facing homelessness rental crisis action group now has nearly 1000 members, and Kate said it had become a supportive community.

Kate is using the group to plan a sit-in rally at Parliament Lawns in early April to make the housing issue visible.

“I want the broader community to have an idea of what homelessness actually looks like right now in Tasmania,” she said. “It’s families living in tents.” Kate said she knew of at least seven people in her circle of friends and family who were facing severe housing stress or homelessness.

“There are two single mothers who are both homeless at the moment in my immediate circle of friends,” she said.

“They’re people who have never been homeless before. They’re people who have jobs. They’ve never had an issue before with renting. It’s gotten gradually more and more expensive, but now it’s just exploded into this incredible problem.”

Kate said many people sharing their stories in the Facebook group had expressed feelings of disempowerment.

She encouraged people to join and share the group.

The State Government said on Wednesday it would hold an urgent housing summit in Hobart next week to bring together experts in key sectors and seek immediate solutions.

Franklin Labor MP Julie Collins yesterday wrote to Premier Will Hodgman about the housing crisis, urging him to include the role of the Federal Government in next Thursday’s summit.

Ms Collins wrote that TasCOSS and Anglicare had previously argued any solution should include changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax, and Mr Hodgman could lobby for the changes through the Council of Australian Governments.

Ms Collins said limiting negative gearing would moderate the growth of house prices and put downward pressure on the cost of renting.

A spokeswoman has said the State Government was open to constructive suggestions.