7am
Ruby Jones on the government’s plan to demolish public housing
Published: 3 April 2025 at 19:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Barry Berih has lived in the same Melbourne flat for most of his life. He has mild cerebral palsy and is cared for by his mother. He has all the medical support he needs, along with his mosque nearby and his Eritrean community surrounding him.
But one afternoon, without warning, Barry watched the then Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, announce on TV that the iconic public housing towers in the city would be demolished.
One of those towers is his home, making Barry one of about 10,000 people set to be evicted. With that threat looming, some of his neighbours decided to leave.
But Barry has been fighting back, and today at 10am, he and hundreds of other people in his class action will find out whether they’ve won their case against the Victorian government.
Today, reporter and co-host of 7am Ruby Jones, on the plan to demolish public housing during a housing crisis, and how Melbourne’s inner city will change if Barry loses his case.
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Guest: Reporter and co-host of 7am, Ruby Jones.
Photo: James Ross / AAP
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