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[Jimmy-T]

One of the oft-proposed solutions to the current housing crisis is to encourage developers to build affordable and social housing as part of their str
[See the full post at: Affordable housing – cost to strata committees?]

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[Jimmy-T]

I can understand concerns about responsibility and culpability.  A couple of years ago Housing NSW started dumping “difficult” families from social housing into strata schemes.  When there were complaints about behaviour, the Housing Commission ratbags (because that’s what they were) said ‘not our problem – it’s a strata issue’.

It took a couple of years and a lot of embarrassing headlines to get them to concede that, as head tenants, it was their problem. And yet, it didn’t need to be like that.  If they had moved the tenants who’d never had any complaints against them into strata, no one would have been any the wiser.

But all they wanted to do was pass the buck.  Get the worst of the worst off their hands and let some other poor buggers deal with them. Meanwhile, it set up a totally unnecessary dispute between strata and tenants’ advocates.

I like to imagine that the civil servants who thought this was a good idea are now delivering UberEats. On an e-bike with a flat battery. And a flat tyre. In the rain.

Julie McLean has a point and with all this admirable stuff about social and affordable housing, the authorities have to realise that current strata law isn’t designed to cope and adjustments will have to be made.

 

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[Listohan]

Once upon a time, social and affordable housing was the responsibility of the state. Including some provision for it in individual developments means the burden has to be borne by the project and not by everyone. This may be politically attractive but is it right? Nor is it the best way to manage the issues which arise and ensure that the dwellings are occupied by those currently needing assistance.

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[reddant]

Thank you for this excellent article.

It hits the nail on the head.

Owners and tenants flee and professionals do not want to provide services to such buildings, bringing down the value of the schemes.

The wrong people get blamed for the problem, because the root cause of intimidation and nuisance caused by disadvantaged people is very difficult to fix.

Home owners are self-interested economic actors, not service providers. Successful policy treats them as such.

Strata schemes always have power imbalances, and nuisance and intimidation is leveraged by the powerful to harass the weak.

You will see from my posts in here that I had this problem. Not anymore – this year 20 tenants were asked to move out and their units renovated, attracting a different clientele!

 

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