In Australia, we have government social housing, which helps those in need and also provides cheaper rent for those who are basicslly on welfare or have low paying jobs. It's meant to mostly help families, especially those with kids who cannot afford private rental properties.
There are so many people like my sister who now have a good-paying job earning $40 an hour doing 6 to 8-hour shifts a day, 5 to 6 days a week. She can now afford private rental, and her kids have now grown up, so she doesn't need to be living in the government housing property she has been living in for the past 16 years.
There are also others who are single people living in a 3-bedroom government housing home when they have no kids at all and do not need 3 bedrooms at all.
Yet someone like myself, who is a mum with a young baby and who does need government housing, can't get a property because they don't have any available. I don't understand why they aren't making single women with no kids move out of the 3-bedroom home, while they aren't making people like my sister, who has a good-paying job and has kids who are grown up and don't need the place, as she can afford private rental properties. It's not just me who needs a property; there are hundreds of people who are being forced to couch surf with their kids because they are basically homeless, yet there are people out there living in government housing who don't need it.
Yes I could get a job but I'm a single mum and my baby is quite young and bub is terrified of being held by anyone who she doesn't know. She will have this blood curling cry if anyone but me holds her so putting her in child care is not an option at this time. I've looked at private rentals and most of them are $500 a week which is more than I can afford, as i only get paid $1,100 a fortnight. Government housing if I were to be able to get a place, I would only be looking at paying between $285 and $400 a week in rent.
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Just kick landlords in the nuts and make housing in general affordable again
That's what we want but the landlords and the realestste agents are the ones who are pushing the prices up because they know people are desperate for a home. Government had to put in rules to stop owners and agents from having potential renter bid it out to see who was willing to pay more. A lot of home owners won't allow pets. I don't have pets
I was looking online for private rentals not long ago and I came across a few that didn't even have an ovan or a stove, no wardrobes either yet they wanted $479 a week in rent when you had to supply everything for yourself.
Another issues is the fact so many landlords here will only give a lease for 6 months because they know after that 6 months they can increase the rent again. I could go buy a tent and live in that with my baby but than counsellors or residents would be chasing us away.
Governments should initiate Workfare plans.
They do. If your child is attending school, you are required to attend job provider appointments and look for suitable work unless you are a full time carer for your child with a disability or if your child is under school age of 5 or 6 than they don't put workforce plans into place. However if you are aboriginal regardless of your circumstances they never make them look for any type of work so majority of them live off welfare and spend their money on drugs and alcohol. Not all aboriginals are like this. There are some really nice ones who go out there and work.
It's just angers me that people like my sister who makes anywhere between $1,200 and $1,500 a week and whose kids are grown up doesn't need the government housing she is living in as she can afford private rentals gets to stay there but those of us who genuinely cannot afford private renting and who do actually need government housing assistance we can't get it. It doesn't even make sense why a lady with no kids and lives on her own can live in a 3 bedroom house from government housing but families who have 1 or more kids and do desperately need government housing are forced to couch surf