Latest news with #publichousing
South China Morning Post
17 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Every effort must be made by Hong Kong authorities to deliver flats on time
The urgent need to provide more public housing, to free tens of thousands of people from long waits in substandard accommodation, has long been recognised in Hong Kong and remains a priority. So the sudden suspension of a development intended to provide 8,300 flats is always going to raise eyebrows. Advertisement The Housing Bureau has confirmed that plans to build eight residential towers in Fanling have temporarily been put on hold. This follows an investigation revealing the 'complex geology' of the site, which would cause construction costs to soar by 60 to 90 per cent and take 10 months longer than expected. The bedrock drops more than 80 metres below ground, 120 metres at its deepest. This would make the foundation work much more expensive. It has, therefore, been decided to prioritise other 'more cost-effective' housing projects in the area. The decision is a pragmatic one given the circumstances. There must be no let-up in efforts to provide public housing, but the costs need to be kept under control. Crucially, the suspension will not stop the government meeting the target of 308,000 public housing units in the next 10 years. Other projects in the area are to be expedited to make up for the loss of the 8,300 flats and the bureau says it has not abandoned the project. Advertisement But legitimate questions are being asked about the suspension. The draft outline zoning plan was approved in December 2022. At the time, no insurmountable technical problems were found.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
City and agencies wrestled over tenant placements as public housing project became one of London's worst
New insights at city hall over the decisions leading to a 'dangerous' mix of tenants in a public housing building. CTV London's Daryl Newcombe reports. City staff are sharing new insights into the decisions that led to a dangerous mix of tenants inside one of London's newest public housing buildings. On Thursday, council's Governance Working Group (GWG) once again discussed the results of an independent audit report that detailed the lessons learned since the 61-unit building at 122 Baseline Rd. W., opened in early 2022. In February, the audit determined that a problematic mix of tenants was moved into the building even though it was never designed for highly supportive housing. 54 per cent homeless or at risk of homelessness 23 per cent dealing with mental health/addiction issues 23 per cent women and children fleeing domestic violence 'My understanding is there were agencies using housing first, [and] the housing stability workers, that were placing people in that building,' Coun. Susan Stevenson told colleagues on GWG. City staff admitted that when the building was first being occupied, there wasn't clarity about who had the ultimate authority to choose which prospective tenants received a unit. 122 Baseline The London Middlesex Community Housing building at 122 Baseline Rd. W. in May, 2025. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London) 'Some of the challenges that we had, there was a struggle between the agreements and who actually was selecting the tenants,' explained Matt Feldberg, director Municipal Housing Development. A lack of alignment between City Hall, London Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH), and social service agencies resulted in the initial tenant mix. 'The city makes a recommendation to the property manager, which is LMCH. The agencies were also advocating on behalf of the tenants that they wanted to serve,' added Feldberg. Based on the lessons learned from the audit report, LMCH was given control of its own tenant mix when its newest building opened on Sylvan Street last year. However, members of GWG still recommended having staff return to their next meeting with the tenant placement policies for other public housing. At that time GWG will determine if a citywide policy needs to be developed to prevent similar mistakes in the future. The date of the next GWG meeting has yet to be determined. 'Where Governance [Working Group] really wants to look into these [tenant mix] policies is how do we do it?' explained Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis after the meeting. 'There's a reason that highly supportive housing is provided by specialized providers like Indwell, because of their experience [and] their staffing.' City Hall contributed $3.7 million of the $19.1 million construction cost at 122 Baseline Rd. W. Although the building was designed as affordable housing for people requiring few support services, auditors determined it was occupied with high-acuity tenants to qualify for federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) funding. In 2022, the building had an annual maintenance budget of $444,000, however, two years later the amount rose by 35 per cent. Last June, residents complained to CTV News about rampant drug use, violence, insects, and graffiti. A month later, 48-year-old tenant Darko Lukic died in hospital after being found critically injured outside the building - four people have been charged in relation to his death.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
WA government's $105 million apartment buy-up highlights delicate social housing balance
No part of solving Western Australia's housing crisis is easy, but there's little doubt social housing is a particularly curly element. There's a desperate need for a lot more of it, and very quickly. The public housing waitlist was 22,315 applications long at the end of May, with many representing multiple people. Of those, 7,291 urgently need a home. They might be escaping family and domestic violence, be homeless, need a home to reunite with a child taken into state care, or be severely ill. The government needs to find a way to house those people without blowing its own budget, or building so many homes it crowds out the private sector. And then, it needs to find somewhere to put them. A brewing situation in East Perth shows just how difficult that is. On Thursday, John Carey and Rita Saffioti made their way to the fifth floor of a serviced apartment building in East Perth to announce the government had purchased it for $105 million. "This was such a good deal, we received all the furniture," Carey excitedly told journalists, adding there would need to be some refurbishment work before anyone moved in. Once that was done though, it would mean another 236 units added to the social and affordable housing pool, for a fraction of the cost and in a much shorter time than if the government had to build something from scratch. But even before the media conference was done, there was a problem. Upset neighbours were already gathering five floors below. "We don't have an issue with social housing," long-term resident Ben Stephenson said. "But we are families that have a concern with the anti-social behaviours and other criminal activities that are the by-product of social housing." No doubt reports of violence and other problems in social housing complexes, like in Inglewood last month, would have been fresh in their minds, despite them only representing a small fraction of social housing tenants. Not helping the situation was that news of the government's plans had taken neighbours by surprise. Carey insisted there was good reason for that silence, saying going public too early could have seen the sellers bump up their asking price. "So, respectfully, I was limited in what I could say, but at the first opportunity, which is right now, I think it settled an hour ago, I'm making this announcement," he said. The only problem with that claim is that Carey had in fact announced the development that morning, on the front page of the paper — before settlement. It hasn't got the government's relationship with the property's neighbours off to the best start. But whether they like it or not, social tenants will be arriving in the months ahead, once a community housing provider has been found. "If we want to tackle these serious issues of housing supply and creating more rentals, then you have to put it also in the heart of the city," Carey said. The complex would mostly be affordable rentals, he said — "retail workers, hospitality workers, aged care assistants, that kind of mix" — with a smaller number of social housing tenants. The minister also made the point East Perth needed to lift its weight when it came to social housing, having only 3.2 per cent, compared to 11 per cent in nearby Highgate. Mr Stephenson agreed there needed to be more social housing in the city, but wanted the government to see the impact of its actions from all sides. "There's local government, there's local community groups, there's a lot of other people they need to consult before making big changes to affect [the] everyday life of people that live around this area," he said. Alison Xamon sees both sides of the equation in her roles as Mayor of the City of Vincent and board member of homelessness support organisation Uniting WA. "It doesn't follow that having social housing means that it's necessarily going to be a bad thing, it's all about how it's done," she said. Part of that, Xamon said, was about putting people in accommodation appropriate to their needs — for example, placing people with disabilities in the CBD where they can be closer to public transport and other services. Another part of it was working with the community, because few will ever be overjoyed to have social housing nearby. "The key here is to ensure that the state government engages urgently and intelligently with the local community to be able to give them the assurance they're seeking that the people who will be moving into these facilities are going to be valued neighbours and that any anti-social behaviour that there may be concerns about is going to be appropriately managed," she said. Those concerns will always be difficult to manage, especially when emotions are running high. But for now, when adding social housing to an area, the government needs to either treat it as another curly problem to manage, or ignore the concerns of neighbouring residents at its own risk. It's a delicate balance — but the alternative is blowing out that waitlist even further.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘I come to save the system': why Melbourne tower residents fear for the future of public housing
Katherine Ceballos sat before a panel of Victorian MPs inside the Djerring Flemington Hub, her voice steady, her message clear. 'I come to save public housing. I come to save the land. I come to save the system,' she said. Ceballos has lived in Carlton's public housing estate for decades. For her, these high-rises are more than buildings – they are her 'sanctuary' and 'security'. But like thousands of others, she will be forced to relocate under the Andrews-era plan to demolish all 44 of Victoria's public housing towers by 2051. The government argues the buildings are outdated, unsafe and energy-inefficient. They promise to modernise each site, increasing housing supply, and allow residents to return once complete. But Ceballos, like many others who appeared before the first hearing of a parliamentary inquiry into the redevelopment on Tuesday, is not convinced. She described the plan as 'reckless, arrogant, foolish, undermining and insulting', and accused the government of trying to 'kick out the minorities' from the gentrified inner-city suburbs. 'This is not what Victoria, or Australia, is about,' she said. Reem Yehdego, another Carlton resident, echoed the sentiment: 'These demolitions don't feel like progress, they feel like erasure.' She said the migrants who made these areas safe and vibrant were being coerced into leaving by a 'government and developers seeing it as a cash grab'. Kah Wah, speaking through a translator, put it more bluntly: the government was 'collaborating in a bad way with businessmen'. He said he left his Flemington apartment after being told if he did not move before 30 September, he would have to pay relocation costs himself. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The government, however, has disputed these claims. They have said more than 70% of high-rise residents who have been relocated so far have been moved into homes that suit their needs, including in their local neighbourhoods, and they are not responsible for the costs involved. 'We are so proud of the diverse, close-knit and vibrant multicultural and multi-faith communities who have called the towers home – in many cases for decades – they are an incredibly important part of Melbourne's multicultural identity,' the housing minister, Harriet Shing, said. 'We also want more people to have access to quality housing in the inner suburbs, which is why the overall increase in the amount of social housing at these sites is so important.' In September 2023, in one of his final acts as Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews announced 'Australia's biggest ever urban renewal project', a plan to knock down every public housing tower in the state and replace them with a mix of 'social housing' – the umbrella term that encompasses two types of state-subsidised housing for low-income people: public housing, which is owned and operated by the government, and community housing, which is run by private not-for-profit companies. The first towers due to be developed by 2031 are 12 Holland Street in Flemington, 33 Alfred Street and 120 Racecourse Road in North Melbourne and two unoccupied red-brick towers in Carlton. Towers in South Yarra and Richmond will follow. So far, only the buildings in Carlton will return as public housing, thanks to federal funding. The rest will be rebuilt as community housing under a model where the government leases land out for 40 years. This 'ground lease model' was also used during the $5.3bn 'Big Housing Build', launched in 2020. Since then, community housing has proliferated. In 2022, it made up 20% of Victoria's total social housing stock. Stephanie Price, from West Heidelberg Community Legal Service, told the inquiry it proved a 'retreat and diminishment of public housing' by government. She said in the past three years, 20 new community housing providers have been registered – a 50% increase. Some, she said, had no website or contact details. While the number of providers has grown, Productivity Commission data from January shows Victoria has the lowest proportion of social housing stock per capita of any state, with only 2.9% of people living in social housing, below the national average of 3.9%. There were more than 55,000 applications on the state's housing waitlist as of March 2025. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Both Price and Louisa Bassini, a lawyer from Inner Melbourne Community Legal Centre, who represented tower residents in a recent class action, told the inquiry community housing lacks protections of public housing, including that private providers can charge higher rent – up to 30% of income compared to the 25% capped rate for public housing. Price also raised concerns about smaller unit sizes and the loss of communal spaces, impacting public housing residents whose families are often larger. Rose Aba told MPs her family was relocated to two adjacent community housing apartments on Victoria Street in Flemington. She was promised the apartments – one four-bedroom and one two-bedroom – would be combined. It has not happened. As a result, she is 'struggling to pay two rents'. 'I'm feeling crazy at the moment,' Aba said. 'This is the thing I didn't bargain for my family – to have my kid in the other apartment. Sometime I don't even sleep.' Another key theme of the inquiry is whether demolition is even necessary. MPs will soon hear from the towers' original architect and engineer, as well as firms proposing retrofitting instead of demolition. Among them is OFFICE, which released a proposal last year to retain and upgrade the Flemington estate and build five new mid-rises on existing car parks, saving the government $364m. The government disagrees. It said it would cost $2.3bn over 20 years – or $55m per tower – just to maintain the buildings, not improve them. Labor MPs at Tuesday's hearings went to lengths to illustrate the poor living conditions of the units, including the inability to install air conditioning in some. Ryan Batchelor cited a report on the Carlton buildings that said it was 'not feasible or practicable' to upgrade them as the sewer stacks were 'failing', causing damp and mould within the walls. 'Do we have to wait until there's a failure of the sewer stacks?' he said. 'Or do we need to have a proactive program of capital assessment management … to give the most vulnerable and poorest residents of our state homes that suit their needs?' He framed the redevelopment as a staged 30-year plan and accused 'non-government agents' of spreading misinformation. Hamad Ali, from the Carlton Housing Estate residents' group, agreed, saying confusion was widespread and rumours were flourishing. 'Because of the language barrier, sometimes people will put their own spin,' Ali said. Ayan Mohamud, a food security coordinator at the Church All Nations, however, put the blame on government. 'Rumours are coming from the government not giving information. So people are filling in the gaps,' she said. Privately, some Labor MPs agree the lack of clarity has allowed the Greens to capitalise on the issue, alongside the Victorian Socialists. They point to both Bassini and Price having run for the Socialists in local elections, while the party's Senate candidate, Jordan van den Lamb, and Greens housing spokesperson and Richmond MP, Gabrielle de Vietri, have led several protests. Shing, accused the Greens and Socialists of 'spreading misinformation' and 'creating fear without offering actual solutions'. 'These ageing towers will not stand the test of time – we have to act now. Victorians deserve better than bandaids on 1960s concrete,' she said. 'We do not underestimate the impact of such major change on residents who have in many cases called the towers home for decades – we are determined to make sure that all residents … have the information and support that they need.' The hearings will continue next month.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Yonkers' 92-unit senior housing development will conclude long rebuild of public housing
YONKERS — A decade-long redevelopment for a blighted public housing complex has entered its final stages. On June 25, city officials broke ground on the final phase of transforming the former Cottage Place Gardens public housing complex. Willow at the Ridgeway, an eight-story senior housing development at 23 Bishop W.J. Walls Place, will include 92 units designated for seniors on the city's section 8 waitlist. Amenities are to include free internet, air-conditioning, energy-efficient appliances, laundry rooms on each floor, a community room, fitness center, raised garden beds, a bocce court and a resident terrace with seating and a solar canopy. Construction is expected to be completed in October 2026. More: Tenants begin moving into Hudson Piers, largest waterfront development in Yonkers The development marks the final step in a six-phase revitalization of a public housing complex originally built in 1945. The master plan, first outlined 15 years ago, aims to replace the old structures with modern housing located close to the downtown Yonkers waterfront district. Previous phases of the redevelopment plan include 188 Warburton Ave., School House Terrace and The Villas at the Ridgeway, which collectively offer hundreds of apartment units and townhomes. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said the goal is to build a community that offers the quality of new market-rate housing developments. He added former residents of Cottage Place Gardens would be given priority to return. 'We want to transform our city and we want our city to be inclusive,' Spano said. 'We want to make sure we're bringing people into our city but not chasing people out of our city. Giving our seniors a building to age in place.' The $81 million final phase replaces three vacant public housing buildings on the site and will offer 85 one-bedroom units and seven two-bedroom units, ranging in size of 550 to 800 square feet. The units are set aside for residents earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income, or between $35,000 to $71,400 annually. Developed by The Community Builders and the Mulford Corporation, a nonprofit affiliate of the Yonkers Housing Authority, Willow at the Ridgeway also incorporates energy-efficiency features such as all-electric, rooftop solar panels. Funding for the project comes from state and local municipalities, including the City of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York State Housing Finance Agency and the Home and Community Renewable agency. It is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $25 billiony, five-year housing plan, which has financed nearly 3,200 affordable homes in Westchester. Helu Wang covers economic growth and real estate for The Journal News/lohud and USA Today Network. Reach her at hwang@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers NY begins final phase of 15-year rebuild of public housing
