Melbourne residents resist public housing relocation plan

Residents of Melbourne's Victoria Avenue public housing tower are voicing strong opposition to the state government's plan to demolish and rebuild the aging structure. Edwina Dawn Horwath, an 82-year-old resident of the Albert Park tower, described feeling "depressed" and "betrayed" by the prospect of moving after living in her apartment for decades. The tower, part of the Older Persons High Rise Program, provides affordable housing for Victorians aged over 55.

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I've been really, really depressed about the whole thing. I feel betrayed.

Horwath, who relies on an oxygen tank due to emphysema, expressed concerns about her ability to manage a move, stating, "I can't do six paces without getting breathless." She, along with other residents, is calling on the government to reconsider the plan and "think about the people that live here."

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It just doesn't make sense to me.

Homes Victoria has begun meeting with residents to initiate the relocation process. However, many residents are refusing to leave, affixing signs to their apartments declaring their refusal to speak with government representatives. These signs are the work of the grassroots collective 44 Flats United (44 FU), formed by public housing residents, former residents, and supporters.

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For me personally, I wouldn't be able to move. I can't do six paces without getting breathless.

44 FU founder R-Coo Tran reported that 60 percent of residents in affected towers have signed a petition against the demolition. Tran highlighted that residents were initially told these would be their "forever homes" and many have lived there for decades. The collective also raises concerns that vulnerable residents have been left "in the dark" about their future housing arrangements, with only a small percentage having moved out so far.

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I'd like for them to stop it. Think it through. Think about the people that live here. We're all elderly.