In 2014, when the Australian government sold 293 properties of public housing in Sydney’s harbour area, it promised to build 1,500 new affordable housing units. At the time, there were at least 57,000 residents on the waiting list for affordable housing.
Four years later, according to critics, the waiting list has grown to 60,000. The government claims the waiting list stands at 56,000, although they also acknowledge tidying up the list by removing certain classes of people.
The quarrel over numbers is a diversion from the challenge of building affordable housing in the free market. How could the sale of these properties possibly spin into existence enough money to house those dispossessed by that very speculation?
None of all this can be bringing much comfort to those still on the waiting list with relief not in sight on any horizon whatsoever.
Read more in Domain: Social housing sell-off ‘fails to fix growing NSW homelessness crisis’
