House outrage

By Callan Date
A BOARDED-UP house in Endeavour Hills is sparking debate about the housing crisis in Casey.
The vacant and run-down Chester Court property at the centre of the storm is owned by the State Government’s Office of Housing and has been unoccupied since January.
Neighbours have voiced their disapproval at the overgrown gardens, falling-down fences and general unsightly nature of the house.
Casey councillor Paul Richardson, a strong advocate for the homeless, has also expressed his dismay at the empty house.
He said the property needed to be fixed immediately and offered to one of the many Casey families in desperate need of housing.
Cr Richardson said he would put pressure on the relevant government department to get the house tidied up and livable again as soon as possible.
“What I will do is write a letter to the appropriate offices in charge at the Office of Housing and ask for this to be fixed and for a family to move in ASAP,” Cr Richardson said.
He said he had inspected the house and found considerable damage throughout.
“I know work is needed in the house. One of the side windows is broken and the plaster has been kicked in,” he said.
“There is some damage in the hallway and the bedrooms. I would say it is in need of a massive clean-up.”
Cr Richardson said the fact the house had sat vacant for the whole of this year was of major concern.
“I am very disappointed that the Office of Housing hasn’t acted to fix up the house immediately,” he said. Vacant government housing, such as the Endeavour Hills property, would be a major talking point during the City of Casey homeless forum in October, he said.
Youth outreach worker and prominent homelessness fighter Les Twentyman has backed Cr Richardson’s intentions.
The two men recently met to discuss the housing shortage issues Casey is facing.
“We had a very good meeting and I’m still pushing for him (Mr Twentyman) to be part of the forum,” Cr Richardson said.
Issues of housing stress in Casey – relating to mortgages, the shortage of renting properties and other financial issues – would be looked at closely.
A local landlord, who wished to remain anonymous, also wants the property cleaned up and offered to a family in need.
He said squatters had caused extensive damage to the inside of the building before the windows were boarded up about three months ago.
“You would think with the current house shortage at the moment that they would be keen to fix it up,” he said. “It really needs a good clean-up.”
Office of Housing spokesman Brendan Ryan confirmed the property had been vacant since the start of the year.
He said the boarding up of the house was a temporary measure while the property was on the upgrade list.
After several inquiries from the News, Mr Ryan said work on the property was due to start early next month.
He said the property being left vacant for so long was an unusual case.
“The vast majorities of our houses are vacant for less than 40 days,” Mr Ryan said.