This speech was given by Rita Sacchetta, Anti-Poverty Network SA members, at our ‘Invest In Public Housing’ Rally, as part of Homelessness Week, on August 13, 2023.
“Hi. My name is Rita, I’m one of the coordinators of the Anti-Poverty Network Northern Branch.
We are here today because everyone deserves a house. Everyone deserves a home.
Today I’m going to tell you what life is like in the Northern Suburbs, the poorest suburbs in the state.
Every Saturday morning, we are at Fremont park, where we connect with ‘Cos We Care’, and ‘The Mustard Seed Project, to meet, feed, and clothe the poor and the homeless.
Yesterday morning, I met a young man who has been sleeping at the toilets at the park. I wake him up and ask if he’d like a hot meal. Our little Saturday community rallied around him, fed him and filled his trolley with food, clothes, scarves, and blankets.
This man is sleeping at the toilets in the park, while houses sit empty for years.
Last Saturday morning, after returning from Fremont Park, I had a young man come to me for help, weeping like a child, begging me for help, but I felt so helpless.
What service could I direct him to? When all our services are at peak capacity and struggling. This man is sleeping on my front porch, while houses sit empty for
years.
Another homeless young man I know, is couch surfing on my couch. This young man is my 32 year old son.
My son is homeless, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping in cars, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping in parks, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping in toilets, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping in doorways, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping in Council doorways, while houses sit empty for years.
People sleeping on couches and floors, while houses sit empty for years.
Women and children sleeping rough, while houses sit empty for years.
We have tent cities, while houses sit empty for years.
We have local and state government refusing to acknowledge the seriousness of this crisis, while houses sit empty for years.
This isn’t just a housing crisis. Let’s call it out for what it is:
It’s a humanitarian crisis.
An abuse of human rights.
Once upon a time homelessness was a city problem.
Now, after decades of evil and punishing government policies, it is on our doorsteps.
Peter Malinauskus, Nat Cook, Nick Champion, Lee Odenwalde, Matt Burnell (Just to name a few), step down from your ivory towers, step down into our world, the world that ‘we-the-people’ are living in.
Houses sit empty for years, while homelessness continues to grow.
Labor, get your shit together and fix this crisis. Don’t keep pissin’ me off. I’m a 58 year old woman with nothing to lose.
We voted you in, we can always vote you out.
We are the people – and we know that poverty is a political choice and homelessness is a political choice.
Thank you.”
Anti-Poverty Network SA 