Journey to Social Housing

Christina

“I was born in Argentina and life was very hard in those days. We apply to come to Australia and in 1980 we arrived in Australia.”

“A while ago my marriage broke up and I was left with nothing. My biggest concern was to find accommodation.”

“I got really sick due to my condition and I couldn’t work anymore. Not everybody can afford to live in their own place, due to the circumstances can change.“

“When I had my interview with Wentworth, they didn’t discriminate against me, they accepted me. It made me feel really good and comfortable about myself.”

“Wentworth gave me a call to show me a place in Penrith. I said I’ll take it and moved in. And then to my surprise was the kind of people that were in community housing, they were really nice people and I developed a big nice friendship.”

“At the moment it’s a hobby but I would like to be a 3D artist, the last two years I got really stuck into it. With the other place I couldn’t do that because I didn’t have room to put my computer so this place has been like a blessing to me.”

Quotes taken from Christina’s stories

Robert

“I moved down to Leura and there I discovered I needed some emergency housing. So I went to Social Services and they put my name down with Community Housing. They were surprisingly prompt and they had me in a flat in Katoomba within weeks of my application.

“This is my 19th year being in residence in this place. Very nice part of town, quiet, good neighbours, no traffic pouring through, an excellent spot to be living in.

“This street is a rather strange street in many ways. Quite a number of the houses in it are houses that are leased so they have a moving population and I think in a way people haven’t particularly known that we are public housing.

“I think community housing is essential. How some people survive I don’t know. There’s a high percentage of single mothers living off social services who wouldn’t be getting a lot of money – how they survive paying full rent is beyond my comprehension.”

Quotes taken from Robert’s stories

Paul

“I’m a resident of Wentworth Community Housing in Penrith. I’ve been here for around 2 years now in social housing and it’s great, I like it.

“I think one of the big things that people have in regards to social housing is that they think we’re all bludgers or all druggies or we can’t handle our financial situation, it’s like we need to be nannied, and we don’t.

“I personally try to get out and help with my community with Lions Club. We organise fundraisers and bbq’s to raise funds for social groups like PCYC, the soup kitchen, the Nepean Hospital, scouting groups, or local sporting groups.

“I feel we’ve lost our sense of community in many ways, we don’t talk to our neighbours, we don’t talk to our community and that’s important. I’ve noticed being here, in social housing, we say g’day a little more, we try to get to know our neighbours.

“We’re just like you. Some of us our choices were a bit different, but it doesn’t mean we’re any less a person and it doesn’t mean we’re any less important as a person.”

Quotes taken from Paul’s stories

Sky

“When we lost the house, we had to go and of course rent a house. My husband had a bad case of gambling and it got from bad to worse. He got really sick and then he died, he had cancer of the brain which took him very quickly.

“I had to go and rent another place and then I put my name down, it was five years and then I got the community housing.

“If they’d offered me a tent, it sounds terrible, I think I would have taken the tent, just for the feeling, I needed security.

“Life had turned into something that you wouldn’t have even thought it could turn into.

“I gradually rearranged and through right I’ll make this my world inside, because if it gets depressing outside I can always come inside. I’ll create my world in here. Things feed your personality and stop you thinking about oh woe is me, which you can get into in life if you don’t watch it.

“We’re all different and nobody’s perfect and some of us are less perfect than others unfortunately because we’re different make up.”

Quotes taken from Sky’s stories

Carol

“My name’s Carol and I’m born and bred in Katoomba.

“Mum’s got a bridge named after her up across the highway, it’s called the Aunty Joan Cooper OAM bridge and Dad’s got a piece of land going down the highway and that’s Digger Cooper Reserve.

“I’m an Elder and I do what Mum used to do, go out talk to people and do Welcome’s but the talking to people was the most important part because we all got to know each other, like we’re all coming together and knowing about each other.

“There’s so many people who have absolutely nothing, social housing helps them out, they get them into a place, they collect food and blankets and clothing and that for people who have got nothing so to me housing is just amazing.

“I’ve been in this little unit here, this beautiful place, for two years and I absolutely love it. I love this place, I’m home.”

Quotes taken from Carol’s stories

Raj

“My name is Raj and I’m from Sri Lanka.

“I was in Sri Lanka looking after my business when I got a message saying my father was on his end of life situation.

“Then I was asked to come and help look after my Mother who was very sick. During that time my wife was suffering from cancer so I had to look after my Mother plus my wife.

“We were struggling, and one of my neighbours told me why not you go to Wentworth Community Housing.

“I’m really blessed with one beautiful house.

“My happiness can be reflected in the place where I am living. So I have kept my house clean as much as possible. I always move with all the community people, the less fortunate people, to keep the people very happy. Because happiness comes only when you make the other person happy. That’s what I am trying to do at the moment.”

Quotes taken from Raj’s stories

Steve

“I grew up around North St Marys, it was housing commission and life itself was a lot different back then. You could leave your door open, no one would really hassle you.

“Around 2006 I became a foster carer. For 10 years I was looking after kids, usually related to me or extended family. I helped raise around 22 kids.

“Being an Aboriginal fella myself one of the issues that we always have to deal with is the element of security. This is where we’re from, our land, but all of a sudden we feel we’re in competition with outsiders who move here.

“A lot of people in real estate when they know you’re Aboriginal there’s this assumption we’re going to smash the place up or not look after the property so they can literally just turn you down and not give you an explanation. It’s just not a good feeling.

“There’s a lot of negativity particularly in the media against that small minority that do not look after their housing, but they don’t focus on the 90% of people who actually look after their homes.

“We need housing, if we can’t look after our Elders and our children, then what is there?”

Quotes taken from Steve’s stories

Sue

“My name is Sue, I’m now a community Elder.

“I resigned from nursing and started working in community, first of all being on the Aboriginal Advisory Committee with Council and then became part of the Justice Health team and now I go and listen to the Koori boys at the Detention Centres and getting them into their culture.

“I decided to go into broadcasting and work with Koori Radio, letting people know in the country what is going on with Aboriginal people.

“I was looking for somewhere to live and I was struggling with the rent and I got a lot of support from Tribal Council, Blue Mountains Council, so through letters and process I got a house.

“I’m very thankful to be in social housing because it’s given me a sense of security, they basically saved my life and I’m so very grateful.”

Quotes taken from Sue’s stories

Peter

“I’m originally from Argentina, and came to Australia in 1971. I left my country because it was impossible to have a decent life there and I wanted to give my son a decent education.

“I was renting rooms and every 2 or 3 months the owner would say I need the room whatever the reason so in 6 months I had to move 4 times. I was just getting tired of moving from place to place.

“I call myself an artist because I am. The majority of times I was living in these cheap rooms, I didn’t feel comfortable but now that I’m here my colleagues come and visit me, I have private students here too, so here allows me to do a lot of things I couldn’t do when I was just renting a room.

“I care about the place that I live because it gives me an opportunity to live a decent life.”

Quotes taken from Peter’s stories

Mary

“The Department (of Housing) offered me a brand new place in a street even worse than the street I was leaving and I said no to that, then they offered me the place that I’m in now, and that was 18 years ago. And I wasn’t happy, but I knew that I would have to wait much longer because then I’d be put on the bottom of the list.

“It’s hard for people in public or community housing at times to get work. Sometimes they don’t have a car, transport’s not available. If I didn’t have a car I’d find it quite difficult to do what I’m doing. Public transport in this area is shocking.

“I do volunteer with the Wentworth Tenancy Advocacy Group and I also volunteer for the Women’s Cottage which is the Hawkesbury Women’s and Kids Services and have done so for the past 25 years and they usually get me to do some sewing voluntarily because I’ve been a sewer since I was 12 years old, I taught myself.

“For people who live in community and public housing, a bit like me, you are always walking around with a bit of a stigma.”

Quotes taken from Mary’s stories