We must all accept social housing plan

Drop the stereotypes and open your heart to the homeless, says Pattie Chugg

FOR many years Tasmania deserved its reputation for being a comparatively cheap place to live, with relatively low house prices and rent costs. This has changed dramatically in recent years, with increases in the private rental market outstripping the incomes of Tasmanians. Data from CoreLogic shows the median rent in Hobart at $464 per week ($7 more than Melbourne) and a vacancy rate of just 0.6 per cent, signifying a very tight market.

Nearly one in four Tasmanians depend on living in the private rental market. Even people on average incomes pay high proportions of their income in rent.

With unconstrained rent increases, people face housing stress, hardship, and may be unable to afford anywhere to live. The shortage of affordable housing plunges many Tasmanians into crisis.

The shortfall in rental properties is concentrated in the lower end of the market, leaving people on the lowest incomes most exposed.

When people see homelessness, many respond generously and support innovative ideas, such as the proposed Safe Night Space in Hobart backed by the Mercury and Shelter Tas.

Most homelessness is hidden, with only 8 per cent% of people experiencing homelessness sleeping rough. We need to consider the invisible 92 per cent in insecure, temporary, overcrowded and unsafe places. This can mean people sleeping in their car, couchsurfing, in overcrowded conditions or other short-term precarious accommodation.

We need to tackle the housing crisis on many fronts: build more affordable homes; more emergency accommodation; and ongoing support for the homeless.

Shelter Tas advocates for more social housing that stays affordable. Social landlords — community housing and public providers — calculate rent as a proportion of income, no more than 30 per cent. This is to ensure households can afford food, energy, transport, medical care and essentials.

Affordable housing needs to be integrated in all suburbs and regions. We can recognise the planning mistakes of the past, where housing estates became sites of entrenched disadvantage. We know from our experience as the housing and homelessness peak since 1975, that well located, well managed housing at the right scale avoids these problems.

Over 3000 households are waiting for social housing. High priority applicants wait over a year on average. There are 8000 households living in housing stress.

However, a recent proposal of only 8 units was greeted with community backlash.

If only those people raising objections could see the great benefits community housing has provided people like “Mary”, who at 66 years old finally found a home of her own in a new community development after months of being homeless. No one meeting her would see a threat to their neighbourhood.

There are many benefits to having affordable, well planned housing in every community. Younger family members can live nearer to their established relatives. Older people can downsize in familiar places.

The traditional generosity of Tasmanians must include acceptance of affordable housing options in all our communities. Diverse and inclusive neighbourhoods, rather than polarised communities, strengthen our shared social fabric.

We know of many cases in Tasmania where people’s early concerns about affordable homes “in my backyard” have proved unfounded.

As the peak body for housing and homelessness, Shelter Tas works to bring people together to better understand and respond to community concerns. This is to ensure housing is not delayed, and people in all regions of Tasmania can find a home. All homes are built in someone’s backyard, and every home not built means that someone is missing out.