Lindy has lived through 11 summers in one of Melbourne’s over 55’s public housing buildings. As an El Niño summer looms, Lindy, like many other residents, is anxious about how she will keep herself safe for the next three months.
She has been tirelessly advocating for real action for her building’s residents, and is frustrated at the government for ignoring their duty of care to the residents. In Lindy’s opinion, this is largely due to the fact that “we’re old, we’re poor and we’re not contributing to the profit system.”
Lindy shared her story with us:
I live in Public Housing in a five story brick building for older people. Since August this year, I’ve been lobbying the State government for the coming hot summer, and asking the question: “What plans does the government have to protect their tenants during the coming hot summer?”
The outside of Lindy’s building showing units on the western side that bake in sunlight throughout the entire day.
Despite the State Government having a duty of care, as landlords, to provide accommodation that is inhabitable in exchange for rent, I have finally received a letter from a bureaucrat that basically there are no such plans.
It’s setting up the conditions that a lot of people will die.
I think people in Public Housing are used to being marginalised, and consequently do not feel they have the agency to advocate on their own behalf.
During summer on very hot days, I haven’t been able to do anything. On the other side of the building, where the sun beats down on the building all day, I don’t know how people survive.
During summer, the Western side of Lindy’s building becomes a heat conductor, and even if the heat wave has passed it takes days to cool down.
Despite making a lengthy submission to the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, trying to enlist the aid of our local State member, working with the Public Tenants Housing Union, leafleting my fellow tenants, writing to the Housing and Health Ministers and the Premier, and discussing the issue with the local council, the only end result is that one other tenant and myself have been given air conditioners, not portables, and this was on health grounds.
Lindy’s air-conditioning unit which she fought for on health grounds.
The Department of Housing fails to let tenants know what their rights are, relying on the tenants’ lack of ‘strength’ as a way of saving money.
It has been a wonderful thing that the recent High Court decision mandates the duty of care for landlords to provide accommodation that is inhabitable, and we are indebted to our First Nations sisters and brothers for their courage and persistence in achieving this goal. It is a requirement that I would have thought was self-evident and honoured, but non property owners do not have the same rights as property owners it seems.
It’s a nihilistic situation.
Lindy believes that residents in her building may be afraid to request cooling measures, fearing eviction or other repercussions. The lack of information about the right to request air-conditioning or other cooling measures can make the problem worse, leaving many residents in a state of “pathological compliance.”
