Share House Rental Nightmare For Phoebe
The images of that house where Phoebe Bishop had been living with her alleged murderers have stuck in my mind. Shit everywhere, rubbish tip like, and very Queensland bogan in my experience. The media did an on camera walk through of the place with the landlord and it was disgusting. The bloke who owned the rental house was not big on property inspections by the look of things. Dead dogs and shit loads of their excrement on the floors, from when they were alive, tells a story. Share house rental nightmare for Phoebe and things did not end well for her on this basis.
“Pheobe’s housemates, 34-year-old James Wood and his partner, 33-year-old Tanika Bromley, were charged with one count of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse after they were arrested in Bundaberg on Thursday night.”
Phoebe Bishop Victim Of Rental Crisis
Is Phoebe Bishop a victim of the housing crisis and the dearth of rental properties in Queensland? Did she have to take a room with these unfortunate folk because of the shortage and absence of choice in the rental housing market? I would say that there are many renters living in share households who are in somewhat similar situations, in that they are living where they would rather not be. Young people put up with a lot of shit. Housing has become all about wealthier Australians making money rather than the core issue of providing shelter for the population. Former PM John Howard got the ball rolling in that direction via his messing with the capital gains tax discount with no regard for what the future demand would do to the housing market. Howard used to be a real estate agent prior to getting elected in Bennelong.
“Former PM John Howard and his treasurer Peter Costello were warned about the dangers of rapidly rising Australian property prices back in 2004. These two were the architects of the capital gains tax concession. “
Queensland Shit Festered Rental Properties
I have visited a large number of residential properties in the northern reaches of Brisbane, which are on par with the share house Phoebe Bishop lived in with her alleged killers. I had a government job, where we knocked on the doors of every house in the street and entered these properties’ yards front and back. In quite a few, we had to go through the house to access the rear of the property. Dozens were in such decrepit condition and smelt to high heaven of shit that it was hard to believe that human beings and, yes, families, in some cases, lived there. Now, I believe in personal freedom and privacy but at the same time there have to be standards too. I also, reckon that your home is a reflection of where you are at – ‘as above so below’ stuff. If you live in a shit hole, that is, in most cases in Australia, a choice. I am a renter myself and I know all about renting downunder.
Personal Responsibilities & Council Standards
In my book, if your place of residence looks like a rubbish tip this can be looked upon as a cry for help in the abdication of responsibility to keep your shit together by the occupant. Councils have a responsibility to maintain standards and not just for the enhancement of property values of those living in the area but, also, for the wellbeing of those sheltering within these homes. If you allow things to fester, as in the Phoebe Bishop share house where the alleged murderers resided, you get bad stuff happening. If human beings are perpetually surrounded by their own refuse it is not conducive to the promotion of socially cohesive behaviour. Visible crap all around you can encourage destructive thoughts and behaviours – as above so below! It is not rocket science; the correlations are pretty obvious. Share house rental nightmare for Phoebe for instance.
We Live In A Time Of Growing Inequality
We live in a time where neoliberal governments have promoted housing as an investment over and above the core responsibility of providing shelter for the population. Allowing home owners to rent out space to tenants is the prerogative of governments, which is why it is governed by laws. The shift by many landlords to short term holiday renting of their properties is another big factor in the housing crisis in Australia. If a third of the adult population in Australia rent, then this large section of the populace needs to be catered for. The government has a duty to legislate and facilitate an economy that can provide for these millions of Australians. The neoliberal economics of the last three decades have accelerated the creation of a 2 speed economy, which favours property owners over the ‘have nots.’ Governments are supposed to govern for all and not just the wealthy. Social cohesiveness suffers when inequality is rampant within communities. Damaged people behave badly and do bad things. The share house rental nightmare for Phoebe, which allegedly has resulted in her murder, has its place in this unfair conundrum.
Levels Of Understanding
Phoebe Bishop may have loved living in the shit hole rental share house and may have had indifferent personal hygiene standards, as some 17 YO’s do. Unfortunately, she will never have the opportunity to move on and grow up, as most younger folk get to do. Personal responsibility and agency sits within an economic web of demand and supply. Rents are determined within a market and where shortage of supply drives up the weekly dollar rate. The laissez faire attitude and behaviours by state, local and federal governments have overseen where we find ourselves – inside a housing crisis across the country. Desperate folk have been living in tents in parks, as they have been unable to find or afford accommodation. Wealthier Australians look away and worry more about property values and returns on investments. Not giving a f*** about others has been encouraged by neoliberal ‘me first’ political campaigning on this score. Everything is holistically connected from the renter struggling to pay the rent and maintain the property to the increased returns on investment provided by rents shooting up via the shortage of stock. Lives that are damaged economically can come back and bite the community. This is not to, in any way, make excuses but just to give fair warning. Folk in Alice Springs and Townsville complain about youth crime and law and order issues but if economic neglect is rampant in their towns, then everyone is responsible. Shit happens for a reason. The share house rental nightmare for Phoebe, which allegedly has resulted in her murder.
No Tomorrows
A young life has been cruelly snuffed out. A beautiful young woman will never know the fullness of her future. There is no excuse for the evil actions of her alleged killers. Nothing, however, happens outside of everything else. All things are connected within the world in which we live. Homes and where we lay our heads are incredibly important in the scheme of life. The next shit hole residence you see may well be hiding another crime waiting to happen. Dirty and damaged people and their pig stye home a cry for help?
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer and America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
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