Jennifer Pittorino
Star Weekly is looking back at the best stories of last year and this is one of them.
“I am not leaving my home and we as a group have no intention to leave our homes.”
That is Techno Park resident Lara Week’s message to Hobsons Bay council.
Ms Week, who is the Techno Park group’s lead petitioner, resides in one of the 91 households in the affordable housing block in Williamstown that have been faced with immediate eviction of their homes.
With so many people facing immediate homelessness, Ms Week said she is in disbelief over the situation.
“Moving people from their safe and wonderful homes and dumping them to other services that are completely overwhelmed is ridiculous,” she said.
“There is a waiting list for public housing that is 20 years overdue.
“Our residents who have wonderful homes that they love would be taking places of the people who need those homes.”
Resident John O’Hagan said he was devastated by the council’s eviction letters.
“Obviously we are devastated, going from thinking we have secure accommodation to then having it taken away in an instance, and for it to happen to a whole community is devastating,” he said.
“All while we are in the worst housing situation and for no reason, there is no explanation for the immediate and sudden eviction.”
Mr O’Hagan and his wife bought their property with their two kids six years ago, because at the time it was cheap and what they could afford.
“We own but we will obviously not get our money back if we sell it, it will be like starting all over again if we have to buy something new, and it won’t be in this area” he said.
“I feel sorry for the vulnerable people who have been able to get some stable housing that they can afford.”
Neighbour Ross Brenan has been a resident at Techno Park for 14 years and was left shocked and rattled to receive the eviction notice on Sunday, May 28.
“The notice told us to vacate immediately, If that’s the case what alternative have council provided to us, where do we go?” he said.
Mr Brenan feels he is in a position where he will be OK if he needs to move, unlike some of the other residents.
“I am 50 and still working, there are a lot of people who are not in the same situation,” he said.
“Many of them are elderly, have disabilities, and are migrants who can’t speak English, they have nowhere else to go.”.
Many residents of Techno Park have openly shared their appreciation for landlord John Link who has been renting out accommodation at very low prices.
“A lot of the renters live in a block owned by John, we all know and respect him, he goes out of his way to provide low cost housing to people who need it,” Mr O’Hagan said.
“He could make more money if he wanted, it’s his way of giving back to the community.”
Mr Link has owned properties at Techno Park for more than 25 years, all of which he has rented out at half the price of normal rent.
“Techno Park houses some of my offices but all of these residents are our friends, it’s a gated community and it’s safe and we get along very well,” he said.
“It’s an extraordinary community where people all look forward to living with each other, Techno Park is a large group of people who are friends as they have done for many years.”
Mr Link is one of 800 people who have signed a petition asking council to withdraw the eviction notices and the second to commit to working in partnership with the residents of Techno Park to find a permanent solution that allows them to remain in their homes.
Ms Week said she has been open about residing at Techno Park, where she plans to remain.
“I have written to counsellors, to Williamstown MP Melissa Horne, we are all speaking to lots of people,” she said.
“We have engaged planning lawyers and expect a legal opinion this week.”
