Kevin Bell, a former Victorian Supreme Court justice, says it's worse than a crisis; it's a socio-economic and human rights disaster.
"The situation we confront has been oft-called a crisis," he says.
"Maybe that was a fair enough description a generation ago. But now it is obviously not just a blip in an otherwise well-functioning system. It is chronic. It has become the system.
"That is why we need a stronger word to describe what is unfolding. I have chosen the word 'disaster', but if it continues much longer, it will be a catastrophe."
In a new book,
Housing: The Great Australian Right, Bell says the values underpinning our modern housing system, where property is viewed as a commodity and instrument of private gain (where speculative investment is encouraged), rather than a home and human right, is a "national disgrace".(from your link)
I thought it worthwhile posting the context of your whinge alonso.
the former Judge has written a book. he makes a valid observation which many would agree with.
look at our numbers of homeless today, where the largest sector of women aged over 55 yrs, divorced, escaping DV, sacked for being older than cheaper younger new grads from uni..... these people can't afford current rental rates and have little in their superannuation savings due to the cost of living out of opens car.
our economy is no longer as Menzies planned, or as Whitlam/Hawke had foreseen. the changes made to our economy over decades has seen wars on the unemployed even as businesses gear toward higher profit growth against services provision and employment of highly skilled and experienced workers. this same applies in health and education.
should any nation have masses of homeless people? is this right? for decades there has been shortfalls in construction of public housing. even to the point of selling off much of the housing stock supposedly for the most poor people.
Govt is charged with provision of services to the community. yet they've been remiss in provision of cheap housing for cheap labour. the 20 yr hiatus in construction of new housing has damaged the community and families and has caused homelessness.
