Homeless, angry and demanding answers. And she's not alone!!
Mar 29, 2021 7:20:58 GMT 7
itsmylife08 likes this
Post by bear on Mar 29, 2021 7:20:58 GMT 7
As the monopoly issuer of the currency it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure housing, unemployment & poverty are addressed, not local or state governments as they are currency users just like the rest of us. - AWN
Sarah-Jane's homeless, angry and demanding answers. And she's not alone.
War of words heats up as governments pass the buck on housing crisis
Homeless Sarah-Jane McGrath is angry that she has to live in a van, but her situation has also been a source of inspiration.
Key points:
• Tenancy advocates say the end to the moratorium on evictions will make more people homeless
• Councils object to being told to find solutions to what they say is a state and federal issue
• State and federal MPs say councils are responsible for approving housing developments
After trying for nine months to find an affordable place to call home, Ms McGrath parked her van outside the Byron Shire Council chambers at Mullumbimby, laid out all her possessions and strung up a washing line bearing "trigger words" she says highlight her plight.
"A little bit of fire has made me aware of what kind of state of mind I have been in," she said.
While some might romanticise the notion of being a nomad and dream of the freedom of "van-life"', Ms McGrath's life is far from romantic, especially after the recent weeks of heavy rain.
"It's difficult, if it rains sure I have some awnings, but I have gaps between the awnings and I can't open my whole world to get some air in, so I am trapped in a van with no air for long periods of time especially when it's been raining."
Now that she's homeless, the divide between the haves and have-nots is apparent, even in her social circle.
"I've been lucky, I've got friends and can park on their property but even that for your own piece of mind and your own soul and integrity it gets quite difficult when you sit there constantly watching their world, while your own world doesn't progress any further than the van."
While Ms McGrath has been living with the realities of homelessness, a war of words is playing out over who should take the lead to find solutions to the housing crisis affecting communities across Australia.
From south-west Western Australia to the most easterly point at Byron Bay, the availability of properties to rent and buy has crashed and affordability has plummeted.
Tenancy advocates say the problem will worsen this week when a moratorium on evictions ends.
'Heightened states of distress'
In northern New South Wales, beset by a residential vacancy rate of just 0.6 per cent, Sally Latter, from the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre, said the agency had been inundated with calls from distressed tenants worried about paying rent arrears accrued during the pandemic.
"We are seeing more and more people presenting with heightened states of distress, with mental health issues, and housing is often at the crux of a lot of other social issues that tenants might be facing," Ms Latter said.
In Byron Shire, councillors voted last week to declare a "housing emergency" and establish a place where locals squeezed out of permanent housing can park vans and cars they're living in.
Deputy mayor Michael Lyon hopes other councils experiencing housing affordability and availability issues will make a similar declaration.
"The hope is that if everyone calls this out for what it is, that we are going to actually get more support from the levels of government that can really provide it," Cr Lyon said.
"There's a whole range of things that the state and federal governments could be doing and, at the minimum, we just want the state government to come to the party."
Cr Sarah Ndiaye said it was time for the federal government to step in and provide a "circuit breaker".
She said she hoped her council would take to a motion to the National General Assembly of Local Government in June calling for "policy and regulatory settings to facilitate investment through councils".
She said the motion was "a cry for help".
"We've been working with the state government in every way that we can to try to deliver some affordable housing projects but we keep coming up against funding issues or planning issues," Cr Ndiaye said.
"The federal government really needs to step in. It is that bad."
MP: Councils hindering supply
But Page MP Kevin Hogan, whose electorate covers the same region, has laid responsibility for the problem squarely at the feet of local governments.
"They are the ones who approve development applications for new housing developments and new projects and new programs," Mr Hogan said.
"If we want to build social housing or any housing, local government has to approve the DAs."
Mr Hogan said a lot of councils were actively hindering housing supply.
"There are people in local government and local councillors, and they have publicly stated this, that do not want us to grow," he said."They make decisions that they don't want to see housing developments approved.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Eegional NSW, John Barilaro, has described the housing crisis as a "champagne problem".
He also criticised councils for not keeping pace with demand for developments.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said such comments were an outdated response to the issue.
"Local councils have no control over when the landowners or developers push the button to build houses," he said.
So to say that local councils are to blame is a very strange perspective.
Australian Local Government Association and Local Government NSW President Linda Scott said both organisations had consistently called for greater investment in social and affordable housing from state and federal governments.
In its NSW government Budget submission, Local Government NSW called for $2-billion in investment to provide and extra 5,000 social-housing dwellings.
Ms Scott said the issue had little to do with local councils not approving development as most were meeting annual state government housing targets.
"It is clear that what communities don't want is a blame game between state and local governments," Ms Scott said.
"But the reality is that when there is a shortfall in housing supply, the state and Commonwealth governments are responsible for investment in new social and affordable housing.
"Councils do what they possibly can, but we know that public housing in NSW is provided through Commonwealth funding and the states then provide that support to tenants and also develop the blocks.
"So it is very important that the NSW and Commonwealth governments invest significantly more money to provide enough social and affordable housing in our regions to ensure people have homes to live in."
www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-28/blame-game-on-housing-crisis/100019404
Sarah-Jane's homeless, angry and demanding answers. And she's not alone.
War of words heats up as governments pass the buck on housing crisis
Homeless Sarah-Jane McGrath is angry that she has to live in a van, but her situation has also been a source of inspiration.
Key points:
• Tenancy advocates say the end to the moratorium on evictions will make more people homeless
• Councils object to being told to find solutions to what they say is a state and federal issue
• State and federal MPs say councils are responsible for approving housing developments
After trying for nine months to find an affordable place to call home, Ms McGrath parked her van outside the Byron Shire Council chambers at Mullumbimby, laid out all her possessions and strung up a washing line bearing "trigger words" she says highlight her plight.
"A little bit of fire has made me aware of what kind of state of mind I have been in," she said.
While some might romanticise the notion of being a nomad and dream of the freedom of "van-life"', Ms McGrath's life is far from romantic, especially after the recent weeks of heavy rain.
"It's difficult, if it rains sure I have some awnings, but I have gaps between the awnings and I can't open my whole world to get some air in, so I am trapped in a van with no air for long periods of time especially when it's been raining."
Now that she's homeless, the divide between the haves and have-nots is apparent, even in her social circle.
"I've been lucky, I've got friends and can park on their property but even that for your own piece of mind and your own soul and integrity it gets quite difficult when you sit there constantly watching their world, while your own world doesn't progress any further than the van."
While Ms McGrath has been living with the realities of homelessness, a war of words is playing out over who should take the lead to find solutions to the housing crisis affecting communities across Australia.
From south-west Western Australia to the most easterly point at Byron Bay, the availability of properties to rent and buy has crashed and affordability has plummeted.
Tenancy advocates say the problem will worsen this week when a moratorium on evictions ends.
'Heightened states of distress'
In northern New South Wales, beset by a residential vacancy rate of just 0.6 per cent, Sally Latter, from the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre, said the agency had been inundated with calls from distressed tenants worried about paying rent arrears accrued during the pandemic.
"We are seeing more and more people presenting with heightened states of distress, with mental health issues, and housing is often at the crux of a lot of other social issues that tenants might be facing," Ms Latter said.
In Byron Shire, councillors voted last week to declare a "housing emergency" and establish a place where locals squeezed out of permanent housing can park vans and cars they're living in.
Deputy mayor Michael Lyon hopes other councils experiencing housing affordability and availability issues will make a similar declaration.
"The hope is that if everyone calls this out for what it is, that we are going to actually get more support from the levels of government that can really provide it," Cr Lyon said.
"There's a whole range of things that the state and federal governments could be doing and, at the minimum, we just want the state government to come to the party."
Cr Sarah Ndiaye said it was time for the federal government to step in and provide a "circuit breaker".
She said she hoped her council would take to a motion to the National General Assembly of Local Government in June calling for "policy and regulatory settings to facilitate investment through councils".
She said the motion was "a cry for help".
"We've been working with the state government in every way that we can to try to deliver some affordable housing projects but we keep coming up against funding issues or planning issues," Cr Ndiaye said.
"The federal government really needs to step in. It is that bad."
MP: Councils hindering supply
But Page MP Kevin Hogan, whose electorate covers the same region, has laid responsibility for the problem squarely at the feet of local governments.
"They are the ones who approve development applications for new housing developments and new projects and new programs," Mr Hogan said.
"If we want to build social housing or any housing, local government has to approve the DAs."
Mr Hogan said a lot of councils were actively hindering housing supply.
"There are people in local government and local councillors, and they have publicly stated this, that do not want us to grow," he said."They make decisions that they don't want to see housing developments approved.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Eegional NSW, John Barilaro, has described the housing crisis as a "champagne problem".
He also criticised councils for not keeping pace with demand for developments.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said such comments were an outdated response to the issue.
"Local councils have no control over when the landowners or developers push the button to build houses," he said.
So to say that local councils are to blame is a very strange perspective.
Australian Local Government Association and Local Government NSW President Linda Scott said both organisations had consistently called for greater investment in social and affordable housing from state and federal governments.
In its NSW government Budget submission, Local Government NSW called for $2-billion in investment to provide and extra 5,000 social-housing dwellings.
Ms Scott said the issue had little to do with local councils not approving development as most were meeting annual state government housing targets.
"It is clear that what communities don't want is a blame game between state and local governments," Ms Scott said.
"But the reality is that when there is a shortfall in housing supply, the state and Commonwealth governments are responsible for investment in new social and affordable housing.
"Councils do what they possibly can, but we know that public housing in NSW is provided through Commonwealth funding and the states then provide that support to tenants and also develop the blocks.
"So it is very important that the NSW and Commonwealth governments invest significantly more money to provide enough social and affordable housing in our regions to ensure people have homes to live in."
www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-28/blame-game-on-housing-crisis/100019404