Punk Human

HOW WILL I EVER FIND A HOME?

PROPERTY SPECULATORS

• Intentionally leave some properties vacant and underutilised

• Sit on empty properties for years at a time to realise profit through land banking

• Often prefer Airbnb short term rentals to long term renters

HOMELESS PEOPLE

• Wander the streets during the day to avoid being “moved on” by police

• Sleep rough at railway stations and bus stops after dark

• Often cannot receive government assistance if they have no fixed address

UNDER 21s

• Are stuck with youth wages until the age of 21

• But must pay full price for nearly everything during that time

• Receive zero discount on taxation, insurance, groceries, and rent

• Cannot move out of the parental home as low cost options are non-existent

Sydney is littered with empty properties

An abandoned house behind a wire fence, overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, featuring a mix of brick and timber architecture.
CHATSWOOD
A view of a house partially obscured by lush greenery and bushes, with a clear blue sky above.
EPPING
A brick house on a grassy hill, featuring several windows, a single garage, and surrounded by trees and bushes, with a white car parked nearby.
HORNSBY
A view of a single-storey house with a sloped roof, surrounded by a fenced garden filled with grass and shrubs, showing a pathway leading to the entrance.
NEWTOWN
An old, weathered wooden house with a corrugated iron roof, featuring boarded windows and a small front porch, set in a grassy area.
PARRAMATTA
A white wooden fence with two doors and a sign, situated between two houses, under a cloudy sky.
ANNANDALE
A small brick house with a tiled roof, surrounded by green grass and trees, under a clear blue sky.
SEVEN HILLS
Abandoned brick house with boarded windows, surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation.
RYDE
A front view of a residential building with boarded-up windows and doors, surrounded by a small garden and a metal fence.
GLEBE
A fenced house with palm trees in front, featuring a brick exterior and a peaked roof, set against a clear blue sky.
PENRITH
A neglected backyard visible through a metal fence, featuring overgrown grass, debris, and an abandoned building in the background.
CANTERBURY
A view of an overgrown garden and an abandoned house behind a fence, with a clear blue sky above.
BLACKTOWN

Photo | Keith Salter

PARENTS

• Want the best for their kids

• But cannot buy their adult kids a home because the cost is prohibitive

• Wonder if their adult kids will ever have the opportunity to move out

GOVERNMENT

• Unable to manage local housing stock proficiently

• Has no professional answers to the ongoing housing crisis

• Lacks the motivation to assert control over key industry sectors

HOME BUYERS

• Must save for a deposit to secure a mortgage loan within an inflationary economy

• Largely fail to reduce the principal loan amount due to high interest rates

• Must live somewhere prior to purchasing their own home

CITIZENS & RESIDENTS

• Rightly expect the government to arrange suitable accommodation for everyone

• That includes all members of our society

• Correctly understand that the social cost of not housing the local population

• Is the formation of wandering mobs of homeless people on the streets

Sleeping arrangements

A blue sleeping bag laid out on top of stacked plastic crates in an indoor setting.
A green and blue tent positioned at the entrance of a modern building, with a marble wall on one side and metallic bollards in the background.
A collection of white pillows and a pink mat lying outdoors, with a couple of cups and food containers beside them.
A blue sleeping bag laid out on the pavement in front of a shop window, with bags placed nearby.

Sleeping arrangements on the streets of Sydney.

Photo | Keith Salter

MONEY LENDERS

• Profit from the interest charged on loans

• Produce nothing of value

• Demand payment even if a property becomes uninhabitable

STATE HOUSING PLANNERS

• Only talk about building new homes. Who can afford a mortgage right now?

• Have no means to decrease the cost of rent or to cap its increase

• Lack the power to nationalise abandoned properties

GRAND SOCIAL CHANGE

• Enough properties exist to accommodate everyone

• A national strategy is needed from the top down (policy and programme)

• A local strategy is needed from the bottom up (community action)

A stylised, vibrant image featuring a person in casual clothing engaged in an activity, surrounded by abstract colourful shapes and patterns.
Text graphic displaying the words 'Punk Human' with a black background and red splatter effects.

Author | Keith Salter

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Punk Human