A Werribee mother has welcomed a state government decision to back
away from plans for a 50 per cent rent rise for people with
disabilities living in supported accommodation, but fears the increase
has not been completely abandoned.
Tina Polizzi has two sons with disabilities. One of them, Adam, lives in Department of Human Services accommodation in Altona North.
Ms Polizzi described last Thursday’s decision to scrap increased
supported housing rents as “terrific news”, saying the rise would have
affected Adam’s quality of life.
As reported in the Weekly, Adam was among almost 2500 Victorians who received a letter in May saying board and lodging fees would increase by 50 per cent from December 1, consuming 75 per cent of his disability support pension.
“I don’t know how my son was going to manage on 25 per cent of his
pension,” Ms Polizzi said. “I didn’t want to see his quality of life
affected. The rise would have meant he wouldn’t have been able to go on
his annual holiday to the Gold Coast or bowling.”
The backflip came after Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service
took the government to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
over the plans.
The service represented more than 2000 residents with disabilities.
But when VCAT indicated it expected each resident to present their
circumstances to the tribunal, the government backed away from the
proposed increase.
A spokesman for Disability Services and Reform Minister Mary
Wooldridge said the government was not prepared to put people with
disabilities and their families through such a litigious process.
But the spokesman would not say if the government had ruled out
future rent increases, saying it believed the proposed changes were
fair.
The government said the higher fees would have put Victoria on par with other states.
Ms Polizzi said she hoped the rent rise was off the table for good.
“Hopefully they don’t revisit it in the future but I will remain very vigilant,” she said.
