We received an email from one of our readers requesting that its contents be put up as a post –

A recent post (below) outlined councils intention to raise rents by a considerable and unjustifiable amount.  News to hand indicates that rents have not risen as proposed but have increased a small amount only.  Word has it that many people in the community were rightly disgusted with council’s proposal and community action has resulted in a change of heart.

My questions are:

  • Why was this appalling decision to increase rents by such a large percentage undertaken in the first place?
  • Why is there only a response from council when the community takes action?
  • Why can’t we have council policies in place that respect the financial circumstances of those renting their homes from council?
  • Why does a such a lack of trust in council actions result in the community having to scrutinise every decision?

The only good outcome is the decision now to increase rents by a small amount – what would have happened if the community had not got behind this issue?

Our Caring Council – Huge Rent Increases for Council’s Social Housing Residents (an earlier comment in ‘Resident’s Corner’)

Councils lack of support for its residents who are most vulnerable is evidenced in recent notification to its social housing tenants of a rent increase from $270 per fortnight to $390 per fortnight – a huge $60 per week increase in rent. This is fact!

This increase is being charged to those who can least afford it. The tenants of these independent living units have no assets and live on full aged pensions or disability pensions. Where will they find another $60 per week from to pay this? Residents are not happy and complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Why would Glen Eira council make this decision? What is the benefit?

The decision flies in the face of supporting older people as they age. It flies in the face of State government policy in the just released Ageing in Victoria Plan which acknowledges the huge issue of housing for older people stating “Accessible and affordable housing will be critical as our population ages….. an adequate supply of suitable housing allowing older people to live comfortably and safely within their communities will become more important as Victoria’s population ages.”

What does our council do? It makes housing less affordable and places vulnerable older people and people with disabilities in a more tenuous and stressful position!

This issue cannot be left for the tenants to fight on their own! Council talks about advocacy and support for older residents in its Draft Ageing Strategy and increasing rents by such a huge amount shows that the words in the strategy are meaningless like so many other strategic documents produced by this council.