Call out for support of the Student Housing Action Cooperative (SHAC)
SHAC is a collective of students and supporters who have been occupying four vacant buildings owned by the University of Melbourne for nearly four months [from August 20] in a campaign to secure affordable student housing, starting with turning the occupied buildings into a student run housing cooperative.
There’s a critical shortage of housing in inner city Melbourne with a vacancy rate of less than 1% and rents still going up at astronomical rates. Low income students are spending more than 40% of their incomes on rent. International students are particularly affected by the lack of affordable housing mostly being offered accommodation in overpriced apartments without legal rights due to exemptions from the Residential Tenancies Act.
Now SHAC is facing eviction. Melbourne Uni have asked us to ‘voluntarily’ leave on the 28th (reminiscent of their staff voluntary redundancy offers, perhaps?). We’re not planning on going anywhere (unless they hand us the keys to another property). Community support has always been the backbone of our campaign and we won’t be able to win without it. So come along and show your support for SHAC and the affordable student housing cause.
Rally @ SHAC
272-278 Faraday Street, Carlton
Friday, November 28
Midday
