Loomio
Wed 31 Aug 2016 6:48AM

Housing Affordability

E Elena Public Seen by 317

Brains trust...."In brains (#withlove) we trust".....

How do we write to people in council? People running for election and current members...Love your feedback!!!!! Then I will send it out to a bunch of people and redraft for others to send to their members as they wish....Elena

e.g To:

Danny Cash
Candidate for Maribyrnong Council, Stony Creek Ward
[email protected]
0415 764 015

Hi Danny,

I am in your electorate (?) and I would like the opportunity to meet with you to discuss housing in the inner west.

I am an architect and a member of Cohousing Australia.
In that capacity I am working to develop new housing models to help create more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable and resilient housing options.

There are some great projects in Melbourne to illustrate precedence in this area such as The Commons by Breathe Architecture and Murundaka a community in Heidelberg Heights but we need more projects like these and we need more support across many sectors to create disruptive change.

Only by doing this will it be possible to change the status quo of large lonely McMansions, urban sprawl, speculation, developer driven apartment projects that fail to meet the diversity of the market or the social and environmental needs of our community. Homelessness and housing affordability, supported housing for the disabled and/or elderly, adequate provision of social housing which includes not just the physical "housing" bit but also the social "community" bit, are all issues we must start to address seriously.

I would like to meet with you to discuss how we could work together in this space.

Kindly

Elena Pereyra
0423408328

Cohousing Australia
Transition Town Maribyrnong

JR

Jose Ramos Thu 1 Sep 2016 6:06AM

Hi Elena

I have to admit I've never done this kind thing. But it is part and parcel of the idea of "Empower West" (or whatever we call it).

The letter looks good to me. My question would be, what are you / we specifically asking for? I think this loomio platform would be a good place to consider some more specific proposal. For example: "we want Maribyrnong's housing policy to specifically include administrative and setup support for co-housing initiatives." or something... :)

NL

Natalie Lumsden Wed 21 Sep 2016 11:52AM

Letter looks good to me Elena. Agree with Jose on coming up with a specific proposal to council :thumbsup:

MF

Michelle Fisher Wed 21 Sep 2016 11:15PM

I think the letter is great as is. You say what you want, and that is a meeting to discuss how this issue might be progressed together. That initial meeting would be an opportunity for more specific actions or firmer support to be gained. You've set up the problem to be addressed and provided models of how others have dealt with it. I have only one suggestion to strengthen it, and that is to write on behalf of more - and seek to meet along with - people than yourself, to show its a more widely held concern among constituents.

Ok, a second suggestion: include an enclosure outlining relevant local stats to support the points made - eg growing population, single person households, rise of loneliness as a social and health issue. If there are examples of good policies or approaches adopted by other councils, definitely reference them.

As a broader point, maybe we could start compiling info sheets on topics like this to be able to enclose with corro to various bodies?

JR

Jose Ramos Thu 22 Sep 2016 12:39PM

I think a letter is a good place to start. Perhaps is you start a draft, and share a link, others can join in and help edit.

also agree that getting a few extra names on the letter would help.