Where is the Love?

"I'm not renting to her, not to be racist - but she's Aboriginal and she's lived in Aboriginal houses her whole life, she's applied for quite a new, nice and clean property."

What hope is there for disadvantaged people if nobody is on their side? Why do so many of us expect the worst and never allow room for change, to give them an opportunity to have another go at whatever 'it' is, a new start from another angle? What exactly gives you the idea that because she's Aboriginal that she's unclean or untidy? Is your house kept in pristine condition all the time? She needs a place to lay her head too.

"The landlord won't approve your application because it's a 3 bedroom house, they're concerned there isn't enough space for you and your five children."

It's got nothing to do with the fact that you're a Sudanese woman with five children under the age of eight or ten. We have taken into account the fact that you're paying more board where you are now and can clearly pay the rent at our property. We also saw the rent receipts and proof of your good tenancy before that. We're just concerned about fitting all of you in the house.

This is ridiculous - what size room or house do you think she was living in when she was in Sudan with her five children? I've been to the Philippines and seen a mother, father and three children living in a hut made out of not much more than sticks bound together no larger than the size of the average bedroom these days. Did anybody stop to think she may have been living like that? Space isn't really the issue here. Ever heard of a bunk bed? I shared a room with any one of my sisters for probably half the time I spent living at home. She struggles with English, but that doesn't mean she doesn't qualify to have a roof over her head and comfort for her children.

"They earn a lot, but they're curry munchers...do I really want to lease my house to curry munchers?"

You've got two applications in your hands, one is an Indian doctor, the other an Indian psychiatrist, both working at the local hospital. Do you think they won't be able to pay their rent on time? Their applications are perfect, not a problem at all. They didn't even need help filling them out. But wait, you've seen that the letters in their names seem to be from an Indian source and you've seen the colour of their skin on their passport photos. Why must you even mention the fact that they're 'curry munchers'? Can't you see past that and realise that they'd be good tenants?

My thoughts for now...I would love to be able to be in the position where I had an investment property. But I would like to think I wasn't just looking to gain, gain, gain myself, but to also sacrifice and be compassionate towards others in a different position than me...maybe more to come later.