- The Guardian
- Issue #2197
Photo: Action for Public Housing facebook
On Friday 19 June, police escalated the NSW government’s efforts to demolish Waterloo South public housing, forcefully removing dozens of community members and residents at the site and arresting one.
Public housing residents and supporters had begun a community camp-out outside the homes of public housing tenants which are slated for demolition under Phase 1 of the NSW government’s Waterloo South demolition project.
A community camp-out has stood for over three weeks at the site resisting NSW government efforts to knock down the homes of 750 public housing tenants.
60 police officers entered the site and forcibly removed a group of community members including Waterloo South public housing residents, and tenants of Aboriginal Housing at The Block in Redfern. One arrest was made.
Grant Donohue, public housing tenant representative in Waterloo tower (Marton Building) said, “This is about public housing keeping a roof over the heads of people who are suffering and desperately need it. There’s a strong community down here in Waterloo, but the government is not fulfilling their obligations to refurbish these houses and maintain the buildings.
“We need to invest in new public housing, but why knock down perfectly sound homes that are only 50 years old? These buildings could be easily refurbished. Especially in a housing crisis, it’s silly that they’re going to put a wrecking ball through these homes.”
Karyn Brown, a Waterloo public housing resident for over 30 years pointed out that the words “public housing” were not once mentioned in the letter tenants received from Homes NSW. “Families are living in cars, and yet, they are demolishing public housing. It’s ridiculous,” she added.
“We’re here to protest against the demolition of public housing in a housing crisis. Homes NSW are treating us tenants and housing activists in the Waterloo Encampment, like we are a danger. We are here to protect the rights of tenants.”
‘Relocation’ just means being put at the top of the ever-increasing waitlist for public housing. 2030 is too late. Public housing has always meant security and dignity, and Rose Jackson has taken both of those things away from us.
Suelin McCauley, Action for Public Housing Spokesperson, and Surry Hills public housing tenant said the police action was “an ambush. The NSW government knows that the demolition is shameful, that is why they had to send 60 police in the dark of night.”
McCauley promised that the community campaign to defend public housing would ramp up after the Minns government’s use of authoritarian tactics to fast-track the destruction of public assets for private profit.
