The state’s closed border and extra welfare support a ‘short-term fix’ for housing stress for some Tasmanians
Housing providers have welcomed the latest move to boost the state’s social housing stocks, with the government calling for expressins of interest to build “up to 1000 homes” over three years.
Tasmania
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COVID-19 appears to have created a “short-term” fix for at least some Tasmanians facing housing stress.
On Saturday the state government launched an expressions of interest process to build “up to 1000 homes” across the state over the next three years as part of the government’s coronavirus recovery construction blitz.
Kim Bomford, from community housing provider Housing Choices Tasmania, welcomed the EOI, saying such a long pipeline of work was exactly what the sector had been lobbying for.
“The longevity and the pipeline it gives us, rather than small EOIs, is something we’ve been keen to see for quite some time,” Ms Bomford said.
“Hopefully it will make a significant dent in the (public housing) wait list.”
Ms Bomford said Tasmania’s border restrictions appeared to be having a small impact on the waiting list, which is currently about 3500 Tasmanians, although she stressed that it was only a “short-term fix”.
“With the drop off in demand around short-stay accommodation that means short -stay accommodation providers are putting their properties potentially into the private rental market, which is also stabilising the social housing register,” she said.
Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said it was possible that increased welfare payments through JobKeeper and JobSeeker were having an impact.
“Certainly there will be some people with a little bit more money in their pocket thanks to some of the support programs, that has reduced their housing stress in that period as well,” he said.
Mr Jaensch rejected criticisms of new public housing builds, after tenants in Hobart’s northern suburbs complained of leaks, cracks and other issues with newly built properties.
“I think our track record speaks for itself,” Mr Jaensch said, while lauding the construction of 18 new houses at Somerset, which he said were nearing completion after construction started in mid-June.
Labor’s housing spokeswoman Alison Standen questioned why the EOI was only just being announced, after the 1000 houses were announced in early June.
Originally published as The state’s closed border and extra welfare support a ‘short-term fix’ for housing stress for some Tasmanians