Bendigo street housing campaign

Number 2 and 4 Bendigo Street, Collingwood, on March 31, 2016 during a public community meeting

The Bendigo street housing campaign (also known as Bendigo Street or People Need Houses, Houses Need People) are a series of occupations of empty state government-owned properties acquired for the previously proposed East West Link tollway in Melbourne's inner north. The occupations commenced on March 30, 2016 with the involvement of the Homeless Persons Union Victoria, and have involved at least fifteen properties in Collingwood, Clifton Hill and Parkville, while ten properties are currently occupied, involving a campaign hub, a First Nations embassy and temporary/crisis accommodation, run by the community.

The campaign has housed 40-100 people including several families, First Nations/Aboriginal peoples, women, trans & gender diverse people, queer people, young people and students. In August 2016 the state government was forced into negotiations with residents, enabling some to access public housing, however it has also continued evictions despite committing to this process, and has not committed to any increase in public housing or other homeless and long-term housing services.

Chronology

Background

The empty properties were compulsorily acquired or purchased by the previous Coalition state government for construction of the East West Link. The tollway project was subsequently cancelled by the new Andrews Labor government, who initially committed to transferring 20 of the acquired houses to the social housing sector specifically to house homeless people.[1] However, only four or five of these were filled - with people with personal links to the social housing organisation managing the properties - the rest remained empty 6-18 months later while the state government waited to rent or sell them on the private housing market.[2]

There are 22,000 people who are currently homeless in Victoria, 3,000 of whom are children.[3] 10,000 applications for emergency shelter and 35,000 people waiting on the public housing waiting list.[4] There are 80-90,000 empty privately-owned residential properties in Melbourne.[5][6] Property and rent affordability, and lack of access to public housing are severe issues in Melbourne and regional areas of Victoria.

Houses brought under community control

In March 2016 a group of homeless women attempted to squat one of the empty houses in Collingwood but were quickly evicted by the state government.[7] This sparked a protest at the house involving the Homeless Persons Union Victoria, homeless people, squatters and housing campaigners.[8] After a day-long standoff with the state government over two of the houses, the community gained control of the houses and began using them as a campaign hub, a First Nations embassy and temporary housing for homeless people, demanding that all the properties compulsorily acquired be put on the public housing register.[9] The campaign quickly gained broad support in the neighbourhood and broader community.

On April 10, the Andrews Labor government announced that the empty properties "could" be used as crisis accommodation for women and families escaping domestic violence,[10] though made no commitments to doing so, or any commitments to providing short term or long term public housing solutions for people escaping family violence.

Escalation

On April 22 and 29, the Andrews state government evicted homeless people from two of the empty properties on Gold Street, Clifton Hill. Several more empty houses were occupied in response taking the total occupied to five. Through May, more events around homelessness and housing were held and several more properties brought under community control.

By mid June a total of 15 properties had been involved in the campaign with 10 occupied at that time, mostly by homeless people housed by the campaign. State government sporadically attempt evictions with only two successful. Two homeless people are arrested but not charged during an eviction on Wellington Street on June 9.

By early August, 14 properties were under community control housing 40-60 previously homeless people, ABC reports 100.[11] The state government continues to refuse to place the properties on the public housing register, or house those currently housed in the properties.

Injunction and housing offers

On August 11, the state government and police deliver eviction notices to each of the 13 houses occupied at that time, allowing people a mere 24-48 hours to vacate, after which time police would be used to throw people back into homelessness.[12] In response on August 12, residents from the occupied houses filed a injunction in the Supreme Court of Victoria to stop the evictions. The injunction was granted on the grounds that 24-48 hours is not sufficient time to allow for people to vacate, risking forcing them back into homeless. The implications for the women and children residing in the occupied houses is particularly taken into consideration. The use of police and private security in evictions is condemned and discouraged by the justice on August 14.[13]

The injunction and legal processes forced the state government to meet with residents of the houses, 3 families and 3 women were able to negotiate pathways into public housing, and to allow time to engage with services, while others were either not offered any housing, or were offered to participate in processes that hindered their access to housing. The keys to several previously occupied homes (such as 16, 12 and 2 Bendigo Street) are handed back to the state government and several residents are housed in public housing, some after waiting for years with 35,000[14] others on the public housing waiting list.

The injunction is extended several times,[15] ultimately ending on September 19.

Post-injunction

Following the end of the injunction on September 19, evictions are threatened, but none occur. Community and social services are more formally linked in with residents of the occupied houses on Bendigo Street, specifically to support those affected by intergenerational trauma, substance abuse, domestic and family violence, etc. The state government commits to ongoing processes towards providing housing for some of the remaining residents.

However, these commitments are dishonored on October 28 when the state government surprisingly returned to the use of police to affect an eviction, illegally gaining entry without a warrant to number 13 Bendigo Street, arresting three First Nations/Aboriginal residents without charge.[16] The eviction sparks a wave of new protests, number 13 and number 16 are retaken by community, a First Nations family is moved into number 16, several speak-outs take place in the street and the state government adopts a strategy of demonisation in the media, mobilising police and media resources on a scale greater than had been seen at any point in the campaign.

On November 4, a man in his 50's was found to have passed away inside number 4, Bendigo Street, possibly due to a drug overdose, though this is unconfirmed.[17] Community light candles and lay flowers at the home as a mark of respect. Meanwhile, Housing Minister Martin Foley and the Salvation Army's Brendan Nottle used the person's death to attack residents and the campaign in the media, drug-shaming the homeless community and suggesting the death is further justification for evictions.[18] A fourth family is housed in public housing at this point, making the total housed in public housing from the campaign 4 families and 3 women.

On November 10, the supreme court issues orders for the "recovery" of 4, 16, 18, 24 and 26 Bendigo Street. Then on November 12, the state government announced a $109m homelessness funding package that would include: "120 new or developed housing units, 30 units for vulnerable women and children, a "rapid housing blitz" providing government purchased and leased homes, a new crisis centre in Melbourne's west and targeted support for people who require alcohol, drug and health services" but makes no commitments regarding the Bendigo Street houses or long term housing provision such as public housing.[19]

Currently, in the absence of sufficient government assistance and support, residents, neighbours and those involved in the campaign have been left to continue community-based processes of supporting residents affected by intergenerational trauma, substance abuse and domestic & family violence, as those affected by homelessness continue to struggle to access safe, long term housing.

Timeline of events

List of evictions

The state government has attempted to evict homeless people from several of the properties. Most of these have been unsuccessful, two have succeeded, with the state government subsequently locking up these properties and keeping them empty.

Successful evictions

Resisted evictions

Endorsements

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Age, "East West Link houses handed over to homeless people", 6 September 2015
  2. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald, "Homes forcibly acquired for East West Link for sale next year", November 17 2015
  3. ↑ The Guardian, "Homelessness in Victoria: the human face of a forgotten election issue", November 24, 2014
  4. ↑ The Age, "Victoria's public housing waiting list skyrockets", November 9, 2015
  5. ↑ ABC, "Report suggests thousands of vacant homes keeping Melbourne house prices high" November 5, 2013
  6. ↑ Prosper Australia, "Almost 20pc of Melbourne’s investor-owned homes empty" December 9, 2015
  7. ↑ The Age, "Homeless women told they had 10 minutes to leave east west link home", 1 April 2016
  8. ↑ Homeless Persons Union Victoria official website
  9. ↑ Green Left Weekly, "Homeless retake houses in protest", 6 April 2016
  10. ↑ The Age, "East west link homes could be used to help family violence victims", 9 April 2016
  11. ↑ ABC, "Melbourne squatters given reprieve following court case" August 15, 2016
  12. ↑ ABC, "Squatters ordered out of vacant East West Link properties in Collingwood, Parkville" August 12, 2016
  13. ↑ ABC, "Melbourne squatters given reprieve following court case" August 15, 2016
  14. ↑ The Age, "Victoria's public housing waiting list skyrockets", November 9, 2015
  15. ↑ The Age, "East West Link squatters free from eviction for another three weeks", August 26, 2016
  16. ↑ The Age, "East West Link homes: Bendigo Street squatters told to vacate immediately" October 28, 2016
  17. ↑ 2ST News website, "Melbourne squat death 'not suspicious'", November 4 2016
  18. ↑ The Age, "Bendigo Street 'beyond the pale' after death: Housing minister", November 5 2016
  19. ↑ The Age, "Labor unveils $109m homelessness package", November 12, 2016
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