Around 70 residents crammed into a room at the Flemington Estate on November 25 to discuss the Victorian government’s plans to demolish all 44 high-rise public housing flats.
Many reported on the pressure being exerted on them by Homes Victoria officials to shift to community housing.
Tenants pay higher rent in community housing and have less rights compared to public tenants.
Community housing tenants also have to pay for disability modifications, whereas public housing tenants have disability modifications paid for.
Most tenants did not want to leave their homes and their community, but some felt they had no choice as officials implied that they would lose their housing if they refused to relocate.
There was unanimous agreement to call on the government to immediately stop the destruction and privatisation of public housing, maintain existing public housing and build new public housing on public land.