Rudd & Keneally,Macklin & Burney Hopeless on Homeless

These politicians just don't seem to get it- As Keneally sets up yet another committee of Pastors and homelessness industry parasites, its clear that the only voices your politicians are really interested in are those they choose-those advocating excessive funding of pariah Christian NGOs and expansion of costly government departments.

 Lets start with Housing.NSW announced 4000 affordable homes built, but waiting lists at least quadruple that. And the social housing comes with draconian strings attached.Todays social housing tenant is not afforded the same rights and protections as other tenants-Social Housing Tenants have special clauses in the Residential Tenancies Act which pertain exclusively to them-clauses making it easier to end your tenancy.Ultimately, a useful tool for governments who don't hesitate to stoop to blackmail as a means of exerting population control.

 Jenny Macklin and Kevin Rudds "The Road Home" is not working,and will not achieve its objective of halving homelessness by 2020.While Stocklands report 200,000 houses short in NSW now, these people focus on how they might give more money to NGOs, to "solve all our other problems." Our perspective might sound exceeding simplistic, but we cannot fathom how the multiple genius NGOs whose speciality is everything except housing, and who are being funded out of this massive mismanagement of taxpayers money, will contribute one iota to lowering the housing shortage.The critical housing shortage, despite the spin emanating from ACOSS,NCOSS ,the parasites they represent,and their bipartisan political allies will not be addressed by proclaimed "mental health experts,"nor any other experts who are not part of the property business.

 Many disillusioned homeless have already walked out, disgusted with the draconian reality of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) a cynical excercise in using marginalised people as income generators for NGOS.

 Of extra concern is the insertion into the equation of Data Mining by State and Federal Governments, and their contracted NGOs, which accompanies "The Road Home." Relying on Patrick McClure's ( The McClure Report) erroneous, but thus far unchallenged concept of "mutual obligation", the logic is that unemployed claimants should do something in return for receiving allowances such as Newstart.The "mutual obligation" Test was met preceding The McClure Report:Pay Taxes when you work- collect allowances when you don't. Any other obligation is an extra obligation.In addition,we are reliably informed,a contract signed under duress is generally null and void if tested against existing case law.So much for the furphy of mutual obligation -just a Howardly attack on marginalised people.


 While assisting a Newstart applicant with her mandatory Job Network contract recently,I was disturbed to find a clause authorising the Network Service Provider to access ANY personal information the client provided, AND "to use the information...or for any purpose (the Service Provider) saw fit. This amounts to giving the Service Provider carte blanche to sell the information to anyone, for marketing, debt collection or any other purpose.It also neatly ties in with the Federal Governments quiet deployment of new internal surveillance measures. When challenged,the Network case manager quickly called Centrelink, who granted an exemption from using the Job Network to their client.


 If you are asked to sign such a document, as a precondition to accessing essential government services, such as Centrelink or Housing, this amounts to blackmail-You should refuse to sign, unless you are unconcerned with the privacy of your personal information.

 We have noticed in the past 6 months many new impacts upon marginalised living in the city.There have been more ex-mental health patients than ever presenting on the Streets.Some more able to fend for themselves than others.A few TOTALLY unable to take care of even the most rudimentary self care.Many periodically violent, or presenting a threat to themselves and unaccustomed members of the public.All whom we have been able to communicate with tell of recent release from one or another mental health care institution. Simultaneously, State Government signs on a new "Homelessness Services" contract provider in the inner city, Neami Ltd, a Mental Health specialist organisation with NO previous experience of Homelessness management.Using the information we have available, we strongly suspect a callous Federal and State Labor manipulation of mentally ill people, out of the health and into the social housing budget- ahead of prospective tenants who have waited years. A neat little excercise which keeps the NGOs in cashflow,the government departments growing, lowers numbers in Mental Health care (Success-wooohoo!!) while showing a rise in socially housed persons-using the same people,with a few token "genuine long term homeless" thrown in. We note that on the information supplied to us,just 25 housing units are available per year via this new "Inner City Homelessness contractor." We do not blame the contractor for doing what they are contracted to-far from it, we applaud them-its what they are capitalistically contracted to do.But we do question the disingenuous government tactics, and chronic waste of taxpayers money.We also wonder what will happen to other mentally affected people-the residue who will remain homeless.

 We have noted the rise in Political rhetoric from Macklin,Burney and such, painting a wide brush public persona of homeless people as mentally deficient.Quite apart from the unnecessarily disparaging (and often untrue) portrayal of homeless people, Labor politicians strategy is actually leading to increasing homelessness. There have been several who have been recently evicted from long term month-to-month tenancies, because the government is seen (reasonably) by landlords as a more stable tenant.The lie that "properties must be priced at 20% below market value leaves two commercial options for those realtors less concerned with ethics. The first is to reserve the "lowest quality" properties and only offer these options to social housing tenants- but charge the government 20% below the premium quality price for the area.If necessary,let the property (bogus lease,phantom lessee) at that premium price for a month.Option 2 is to just inflate all advertised rental prices,then discount to the premium area rate.Not rocket science. One agent cheerfully admitted doing the second. But the government is renting at Fair Market value? No, they have a closed list of agents who can provide these properties.

  Government Budget measures flowing from the Henry Tax Reforms failed to do away with, or lower the attraction, of negative gearing for residential property investors

 Our humble analysis is that this program will lead to further residential property speculation, and attendant rises in residential property values, prompted by the lucrative and comparatively stable leases offered. It will drive more low income people out of the residential housing market,or into illegal overcrowded occupancies. It will inevitably make home purchases less affordable,and rental a prerogative of those on middle incomes only.

 The Road Home and all other Federal and State Government programmes, do NOT address the issue of turning the tap off on homelessness.
  Federal Labor has failed to legislate wage increases or remove the legal constraints preventing effective worker lobbying. Labor aligned Unions have submitted application for a paltry wage increase of $29 per week.or 70c an Hour, taking the minimum wage to a whopping $15-30 odd an hour-for adults. This level of #wageslavery is unacceptable and unsustainable in any metropolitan and some regional areas.
  As #wageslavery continues to permeate up the income scale, higher qualifications become meaningless tokens. The Prime Ministers spouse Therese Reins former business is a primary Howard era and current driver of #wageslavery.

 The many smokers among our marginalised community are most affected by the "Health NGO & departmentally driven 25% extra rise in cigarette tax. We note that no parallel attempt was made to raise the cost of deadly carbon monoxide producing petrol by 25%, yet we are all forced to inhale this cancer causing toxin as we walk the sidewalks of Sydney. If the Cigarette Tax is a genuine Health initiative as portrayed, why is it not also applied to the products of the nations biggest polluters who cause countless respiratory problems. It is because,like Howard / Abbott, the Rudd Labor Machine attacks those most defenceless, economically.

 The only successes we see in The Road Home are as with its predecessors, as outlined in The McClure Report. The successful expansion of government departments and political power for certain ministries AND the rapid growth of the pariah NGO sector. If that is the Rudd Governments criteria for success then they will succeed magnificently.

 This post should not be read as an indictment of the Kevin Rudd Government alone, but equally of Rudd Labor and the previous Howard Coalition. The Abbott Coalition? Well, their policy is summarised most succinctly by their good leader,Tony Abbott (if we can believe him) "The Poor will Always be with us."

 Our election advice for #ozelection2010 #Ruddfail #Laborfail #abbottcide Vote balance of responsibility. Vote for REAL CHANGE. Why just change drivers when you have the option to change racetracks?

 Don't do it for us!! Do it for your children.Do you want them sentenced to a life of #bank servitude??

Sydney Homeless Report 2010

This is the 1st report from @SydneyHomeless on the State of Homelessness in Sydney City.

•  On 27th January 2010 we counted 1173 persons living without housing in the Sydney City Council area, hereinafter referred to as Sydney City.Each person counted was spoken to,self identified as homeless and gave permission to be included in our count.  
• Our count excludes people who reside in "Bomb Shelters" such as Matthew Talbot Hostel or other such institutions.The count was actioned over a 24 hour period from midnight to midnight on the 27th January.
• Our poll was based on a fixed list of questions, with a custom answer option.
• 228 did not wish to participate,and are not included in this count.

These results are taken directly from raw data.A retired Data Analyst with 15+ years Morgan-Gallup polling experience assisted with poll preparation.Our analyst is also present confirming poll results.We acknowledge that our poll did not count an unquantifiable number whose habits we are unaware of.The use of Morgan Gallup name is strictly with reference to our Analyst's previous role, and does not convey any further association- nor that our methodology is based, endorsed on or conforming to Morgan Gallup polling.  

• 863 people identified as having been homeless for 3 months or more. 528 identified as having been homeless for 12 months or more.
• 227 were aged 15 or under.Of these 160 were unaccompanied (by a family member).4 of those unaccompanied contacted DOCs helpline, following our explanation of DOCs services.All minors & families had DOCs, Family Court procedures and NGO roles explained to them.188 had zero income support.
• Only 3 Family groups were prepared to work with a Govt supported NGO to resolve homelessness.
• 166 (other than temporary residents) believe they do not qualify for Govt income support.
• 326 were foreign students or temporary residents, with small part time incomes.
• 1242 cited a lack of affordable and appropriate accommodation for their lifestylesGiven reasons include cost, style and location.31 stated that they did not wish to be housed.Of the 31 16 had some form of alternative accommodation.
• 267 said that they had or were currently engaged with a housing related NGO in relation to their current housing needs. 
• 269 work 30 hours per week or more.