RAHU statement: “RAHU support of the Gold Coast Rent Freeze campaign”
RAHU members on the gold coast have voted to endorse the ongoing Gold Coast rent freeze campaign.
The Gold Coast has seen house rents almost doubled over the last 5 years, and on top of this, the local and state governments have consistently taken inadequate actions to support the people of the Gold Coast. At the local and state level the government is dominated by property developers and real estate parasites.
The reactionary Gold Coast local council (or local KKKouncil as local RAHU members prefer to refer as) also recently passed sweeping measures to criminalise, punish and harass the homeless of the Gold Coast.
This situation continuing is untenable both for the working renters and tenants of the Gold Coast, and is actively damaging and corrosive to humanity and dignity of the people of the Gold Coast.
It is no surprise that progressive forces across the gold coast have come together to fight for rent freezes.
RAHU wishes to express its support for this campaign. In the short term, RAHU encourages all local members to support and participate in the campaign efforts.
However, RAHU emphasizes that, in the medium to long term, the most sustainable and powerful way to advance renters’ rights both along the Gold Coast and throughout Australia is through organized, collective action by renters and tenants. RAHU urges all individuals involved in the campaign to engage with broader tenant union organizing efforts.
While rallies and petitions are valuable components of the advocacy for renters’ rights, RAHU believes that sustained change requires organized and militant action, not solely petitions and protests.
With that in mind, RAHU urges all members and Gold Coast residents to sign the relevant petition and to attend the rally “RALLY FOR A RENT FREEZE” on Friday November 21st at 1 PM in Carey Park, Southport.
Quotes attributable to Braden Smith – RAHU General Membership Branch Delegate, and Gold Coast Resident:
“Working class renters are being forced out of the Gold Coast due to skyrocketing rents. You can’t have a city without working class people, and it’s past time that the council intervene to protect our cities renters”
“The Council should govern for all of us, not just Sovereign Island.”
Quotes attributable to Tasha Barbaro – RAHU Gold Coast member
“For too long the Gold Coast council has ignored the needs of working class renters by pandering to elite property developers and landlords. I’m proud that organisations I belong to like RAHU are standing up for working class Gold Coasters”
Quotes attributable to Harry Millward – RAHU Co-Secretary
“Everyday renters are sick to death of supporting the lifestyles of their landlords – it’s a bloody disgrace. The people of the Gold Coast deserve homes they can afford without weighing up rent and food on the table. We reject wholeheartedly the criminalisation of poverty created and maintained by the system across the Gold Coast and everywhere.”
This statement can be read in PDF form at the link below: