Since the Robert Menzies Liberal government first began undermining the once great public housing scheme, state and federal governments have continued to favour sell-offs to developers over making safe, affordable housing a basic human right.

Despite the worsening homelessness crisis, governments are proceeding to sell off public and social housing as no-fault evictions, short-stay accommodation profiteering continues.

New South Wales government data shows as at April 30 there were 65,758 households waiting for social housing: 11,161 were waiting for priority housing.

Anglicare’s March Rental Affordability Snapshot shows private rentals are now completely unaffordable for those on minimum wages or pension incomes. The result is an unprecedented power imbalance between landlords and tenants, which is driving a serious crisis.

It is a particularly perilous matrix when your landlord is also your government.

According to the January Productivity Commission report into government services, the term “public housing” now includes state-owned and managed- public housing, social housing, Indigenous housing, community housing and Indigenous community housing. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australian Assistance in Housing 2024 report equates that to 824,000 people living in 446,000 dwellings.

Yet, despite record funding in the

© Green Left Weekly