Friday 18th was the last day of the Save Barak Beacon campaign. A campaign led by various miscellaneous political parties, groups, and organisations, including RAHU, who came together to stop the destruction of the eponymous public housing estate. Only through public housing - a little on every street - can the housing crisis end. Destroying public housing and evicting their tenants is antithetical to what is needed right now.

Barak Beacon housed 89 households, many elderly or migrant. Margaret Kelly was one of those tenants. For six weeks and two days, from 3pm to 5pm, every Monday to Friday, a protest was held outside of the Barak Beacon estate as part of a larger campaign to save public housing. On Tuesday 15th, we participated in one last, extended, final vigil, culminating in a sneaky camp fire which we sat around, banged some buckets with sticks and sung 'Florence and the Machine' and 'Lily Allen' songs.

At 10:00am, Friday 18th, Margaret Kelly was escorted by police out of the home that she called her own for over 20 years. The home she raised her son in. The home that allowed her be a part of a strong community. And for what?

75% of the land will be leased out to property developers to build market-based, beach-side, luxury apartments that no one can afford. The remaining 25% will be turned into community housing and so-called "affordable" housing. 0% will remain public housing.

As the Big Housing Build continues to demolish what little public housing Victoria has left, all under the guise of the social housing lie; unions such as the CFMEU must declare a green ban to demand the protection of public housing. If you're in any union, show them your support for a green ban on the Big Housing Build, to push the government to adopt the far less expensive 'Retain, Repair, and Reinvest' model that keeps homes public, protects jobs, doesn't destroy a single home, or lead to an eviction.

If you are against the needless demolition of public housing, then contact your local state representative. And while you're at it, contact the Premier's Office, whose contact details you can find on their website right here: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/contact-us

#PublicHousing #SavePublicHousing #Victoria #Australia #RAHU #HousingCrisis #Housing #BarakBeacon #SaveBarakBeacon #BigHousingBuild #PortMelbourne #Solidarity #AusPol

Contact us | Premier of Victoria

You can contact the Premier by mail, email or using our contact form.

As part of the Big Housing Build, public housing is being torn down and rebuilt as private housing. Come join us in the fight to save public housing in Victoria before people like Margaret are made homeless.

When: 11:30am, Saturday, July 8th
Where: 159 Beacon Rd, Port Melbourne

For more information, head to: https://rahu.org.au/barak-beacon-support/ and linktr.ee/savebarakbeacon

#publichousing #victoria #australia #RAHU #housingcrisis #housing #barakbeacon #savebarakbeacon #bighousingbuild #portmelbourne

Community occupies public housing estate slated for demolition. – Renters and Housing Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8 July, 2023 RAHU would like to make a statement of unconditional support for the Save Barak Beacon campaign. Below is the unedited media statement released by the group. Activists have taken up residence in the disused homes […]

Renters and Housing Union