Jobless public housing tenants’ lives of luxury, as vulnerable go without

A struggling mother with three disabled children has slammed Australia’s public housing tenants, saying some are living lives of luxury – while she struggles to feed her kids, and is stuck on a 30-year waiting list.

And while Chantel Spada battles to make ends meet, an unemployed man living in public housing enjoys a lavish lifestyle with a flashy BMW convertible, a 4WD Mercedes, a hot tub and more.

Angelo Dallas, 41, lives in public housing in Melbourne’s north side, and pays just $100 a week for the privilege. According to the program, equivalent properties of the same size in the same area are advertised for as much as $650 a week.

Appearing on A Current Affair on Tuesday night, he revealed he has no shame over his lavish lifestyle, which includes the two flashy cars, a hot tub, a Vespa scooter and a home-entertainment system.

He’s currently unemployed, having had past jobs in the tech industry – but it hasn’t stopped him spending.

BMWs and Mercedes in the driveway, spas out the back – these aren't your usual public housing residents. But their helping hand from the government is all above board and it lasts a lifetime. #9ACAhttps://t.co/0tzNlJhnMQ pic.twitter.com/aC0V9Lun3H

— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) April 3, 2018

“If I see something that I like and I want to furnish my home with it, then that’s what I’ll do,” he told the Channel 9 show. He added: “You’ve got to be comfortable – and if that means buying a hot tub, then do it.”

While there is a $32,000 asset limit when applying for Victorian public housing, cars and furniture reportedly aren’t included.

Read more: Solar power set to help public housing tenants save on their electricity bills

Defending his huge asset list, he said: “I don’t think it’s extravagant. Everyone needs to put something aside, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Elsewhere, another public housing tenant, Rob, is an Uber driver. He’s accepting government support for “convenient and cheap” housing, despite earning as much as $1,000 a week and buying himself a BMW.

But the show met others who are either struggling to pay their rent, or are still waiting for public housing alongside a reported 43,000 others on the waiting list.

Chantel Spada and her husband Vince explained they live with three disabled relatives in Victoria, but they may have to wait up to 30 years for public housing – despite the fact she’s often left unable to feed her children.

“The laws really need to change now, or we’re going to be homeless,” she said on the show. “We can’t even feed our children consistently.”

“It’s a joke, it’s a complete and utter stab in the heart joke,” she added to the show. “Give the genuine Aussie family a go and kick those people out that don’t need it.”

While her family can’t even run their car at the moment due to engine troubles, she watches other tenants like Rob and Angelo park up their cars outside their low-rent properties.

She is now calling for Victoria’s laws to be brought in line with New South Wales’ and Queensland’s, where public housing tenants are asked to leave if they earn above a certain threshold. 

Elsewhere, another angry woman, Judy Jackson, said of the system: “It’s out of control, I don’t know if they’re trying to fix it or stuff it up.”

She’s paying $200 a week for her home, but needs to move due to a “dangerous” relative living nearby – however, she claims she’s got no support.

It’s now raised worries about Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services, which allows public housing tenants to enjoy “lifetime leases”. In a statement to the show, the DHHS reportedly said evicting families from their homes due to high income encourages others to hide their true earnings.

According to reports, people can apply for Victorian public housing if they’re earning up to $2,047 for a family, $1,518 for a couple and $992 for a single person. Meanwhile, the asset test for priority housing is just $5,379. 

If tenants earn above a certain threshold, they have to pay market rent – which is often still cheaper than the private rental market.

Do you think it’s fair, or should changes be made to the system?