Faith communities push for affordable housing
Suganthi Singarayar*
Faith communities in Ashfield gathered together at St Vincent’s Parish Hall on Thursday 19 October to discuss affordable housing policy in the Inner West. All elected Councillors from the Ashfield and Leichhardt Wards were invited. Newly elected Greens and Labor Councillors for Leichhardt Ward, Marganita Da Cruz (Greens),Lucille McKenna (Labor) and Ashfield Ward Tom Kiat (Greens) and Mark Drury (Labor) chose to respond to our invitation and attended.
Organised bythe newly formed St Vincent’s Ashfield Social Justice Group, the night was an opportunity to hear Councillors’ policies on affordable housing and find ways for Faith groups in the area to engage with them on the issue.
The rising cost of rental property in Sydney is causing essential service workers to live further away from their places of work which in turn impacts the ability of service providers to source staff. Councils are finding housing affordability effects staffing in areas such as pre-schools.
Many people pay more than 30 % of their income in rent and this in turn affects their ability to pay for basic necessities.
Housing affordability as a growing cause of inequality is causing community groups including the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Sydney Allianceto campaignon the issue of Affordable Housing.
Community worker at the Exodus Foundation, Les Banton, introduced a video Bill Crews, chairman of Exodus, which works with the poor and the homeless,sent in apology for his inability to attend.
Mr Bantonsaid that a new development next to Exodus in Ashfield was charging $540 a week rent for a one-bedroom unit.
If rent is a third of your income, using paycalculator, you need a before tax income of $120,000.
Parish Priest and Chair of the Social Justice Group, Father Alan Gibson said it was very heartening to hear that the Councillors shared the groups concerns about affordable housing and the need to ensure that a mix of people were able to live in the area.
He thanked them for their comprehensive responses to the questions asked at the forum and also for suggesting ways that Faith communities could work with them.
He said: “This is a mutual concern, let’s continue to explore ways of helping one another.”
* Suganthi Singarayar is a member of the St Vincent’s Ashfield Social Justice Group
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used paycalculator to calculate income before tax