We at Juno stand in solidarity with the residents of Melbourne’s 44 public housing towers who are facing the threat of demolition. The recent decision by the Victorian government to proceed with demolishing three public housing towers – 33 Alfred Street and 120 Racecourse Road in North Melbourne, and 12 Holland Street in Flemington – despite an ongoing class action, is deeply concerning. It reflects a disregard for the voices and rights of the residents who depend on these homes for their safety, stability, and wellbeing.
Amid a severe housing crisis, the demolition of public housing units will worsen the housing crisis, increasing the number of people waiting for housing and likely pushing more into homelessness. With over 126,000 people on the Victorian Housing Register (at March 2023), the majority of which are priority cases due to homelessness, family violence, and disabilities, reducing the number of public housing units – the only housing many people can afford – will only deepen the already catastrophic housing crisis.
This decision also disregards the fundamental rights of those who rely on these homes for stability and security. Public housing is essential for stable, affordable living, yet decades of government failure to appropriately maintain and upgrade public housing in Victoria has compromised these dwellings. Instead of demolition, the government should properly consider refurbishment and renewal, with genuine and timely consultation with its residents.
The lack of meaningful consultation has caused significant distress among residents, particularly in North Melbourne and Flemington, who already experienced traumatic lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced displacement and the uncertainty it brings can have severe mental health impacts, exacerbating stress, anxiety, and trauma for residents. Demolishing these towers will also dismantle established communities and sever access to place-based community services.
Juno backs the calls of community sector organisations, grassroots groups and public officials on the Victorian Government to:
- Halt the demolition and redevelopment of Melbourne’s public housing towers until a thorough, transparent and independent investigation is undertaken into the viability and cost of refurbishment and upgrades, beginning with the North Melbourne and Flemington flats.
- Provide residents with clear, comprehensive, and timely information about the rationale for any relocations required during refurbishment works, including where residents will be moved to and for how long.
- Provide all residents with a legally binding assurance that guarantees their right of return as public housing tenants to their original estates within an agreed time-frame.
- Make a formal apology to public housing tower residents for the distress and alarm that has been caused by the announcement of the tower demolitions, and for the lack of respect and care shown to residents by its delivery.
Public housing in Australia is built on the stolen, unceded lands of sovereign Indigenous nations. This fact means that the struggle for housing justice in Australia should be considered in its longer social and historical context. For as Tanganekald legal scholar Irene Watson once observed, the housing crisis for Indigenous people in Australia began in 1788. In this way, we acknowledge that the loss of public housing is intrinsically connected with the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous peoples of their lands. When public-private partnerships are enacted to redevelop public housing land in Australia, these do not merely privatise public land but further entrench the operation of Indigenous dispossession. – Save Public Housing Collective. Find out more on their website.
Sign the ‘STOP the demolition of Melbourne’s 44 Public Housing Towers ’ petition here.
