Save Affordable Housing in Cannon Hill

If you want to see a perfect example of the way Labor/Liberal Governments team up with property developers to screw over ordinary people and make housing more unaffordable, look no further than this caravan park in Cannon Hill.

Recently I met with amazing residents from the Monte Carlo Residents Association. It was an absolute pleasure to get a tour of their wonderful community with beautiful gardens and lovely homes. Almost everyone that lives there owns their home and leases the land. This is low cost housing where the site rents are capped to go up in line with inflation, they are as low as $160/week, so it’s perfect affordable housing.

In 2014 the Queensland LNP government sold off their caravan park to a private organisation, even after the resident’s association offered to purchase the land for the same price. Since the government sell-off the park has been sold again. Now, one of the largest shareholders is Mirvac (the huge private developer that bragged about charging rents 20% higher than market rate last year).

Understandably, the residents are really concerned about their housing security.

Since the park was resold, the new owners have stopped issuing new leases for the land the homes are on. Essentially, the owners are trying to phase out all of the existing residents to make it easier to build something more profitable. As a result, 42 of the 143 sites have been left completely vacant. Some of these vacant sites have pre-loved homes on them, homes that could be rented or purchased at a really affordable rate. Instead the developers are deliberately leaving them empty.

It’s clear that the private developers who have purchased the park are land banking it and waiting for the state government to deregulate planning laws so they can make super profits from the housing crisis. Most of the residents are over 65 and live on an aged pension, they have put their life savings into their homes, now they are facing really challenging circumstances because both Labor and the Liberals seem to care more about developer profits than homes for people.

If they were serious about the housing crisis the state government would buy back the site, and lease out the 42 vacant sites and ensure this wonderful example of a good community of affordable housing can remain in place.

I'm supporting the Monte Carlo Residents Association in their campaign to save their homes. You can learn more and support them too by signing their change.org petition here.