tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post1673186158615437514..comments2023-10-30T02:03:56.081+13:00Comments on Capitalism Bad; Tree Pretty: Boarding HousesMaiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17212711843307060731noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-21801267141637127862008-04-05T16:30:00.000+13:002008-04-05T16:30:00.000+13:00I'm not sure if the article mentions it - I haven'...I'm not sure if the article mentions it - I haven't read it - but another issue is boarding houses frequently not being subject to the residential tenancies act, claiming the same exemption for short term accommodation which hotels etc have, but in practice acting as long term landlords. The tenants end up without the necessary legal protections and have to try and enforce them in much more complicated (and often expensive) ways than through the tenancy tribunal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17759756.post-82780204222672430062008-04-05T13:28:00.000+13:002008-04-05T13:28:00.000+13:00Hmm slightly better than Melbourne. There was a 7...Hmm slightly better than Melbourne. There was a 70 room former maternity hospital in Carlton, one of the most expensive inner city suburbs, right next to the University of Melbourne. Melbourne Uni students have a crazy time finding anywhere to live, especially in a suburb full of $1M+ houses.<BR/><BR/>A coalition of students occupied in protest of the lack of affordable housing. There was a core group of 20. The council responded by kicking them out, hiring security to keep them out. And then six months later bowled the place over.<BR/><BR/>It now sits vacant.<BR/><BR/>Housing affordability problems are caused by speculation on the market which artificially drives up prices. The most efficient way for this to happen is to leave a house vacant. Why go through the hassle of renting out a house to make $20k. When you could leave it vacant and help drive up the demand for housing, and sell it a year later for a $50k profit?<BR/><BR/>The fact that the State (in all its manifestations) sits on a large chunk of land and contributes to this problem is a crime against humanity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com