THE problems and suggested solutions for Hamilton South aired in this paper remind me of the old saying "We had to destroy the village to save it", ("Estate of despair", Newcastle Herald 21/4). The problems of public housing have well known causes and simply "redeveloping" the suburb at great expense does nothing to address them.
First, governments have run down the stock of housing to such a degree that only the most desperate cases can beat the years-long queue of people who need an affordable home. I believe the Housing Commission used to make a profit as many tenants improved their lives, increasing their income and therefore the rent they paid. Now I believe most tenants are not employable, many reportedly with mental conditions, so rental income remains at rock bottom and there is no money for new stock or even basic maintenance. This, we are told, is "economic rationalism".
