Cash splash of $180m to supply new Housing Trust homes and repair old ones

SA’s new Premier is keeping his promise on housing, splashing out $180m to repair and build more SA Housing Trust homes, plus extra funding for the Hutt St Centre.

A cash splash worth $180m will boost “critical” homeless and social housing services, Peter Malinauskas says.

The Premier on Monday honoured an election pledge for 400 new public homes, “significant” renovations on another 350 empty Housing Trust homes and a maintenance blitz on 3000 other properties.

A separate $6m funding deal over four years will be split with the Hutt St Centre, Catherine House and St Vincent de Paul Society.

Mr Malinauskas said the $500,000 a year for each homeless organisation honoured another election pledge to reverse cuts the former government imposed.

“I don’t want to ever lead a government that’s cutting funding to homelessness services, when these are critical, ” he said.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has vowed to supply more public housing. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The Hutt St Centre and Catherine House – the only centre for single homeless women – each lost $1.2m after missing out on Liberal government tenders.

An alliance of CBD homelessness services, headed by Lutheran Care, last year won the new tender.

During the campaign, Mr Malinauskas also promised up to 250 new Adelaide homes.

Of those, 50 will be developed with a Common Ground housing model targeting homelessness and funding to include medical, dental or mental health services.

Another 150 homes will be built in regional towns with shortages, such as Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Strathalbyn and Whyalla and Port Augusta.

Renovations will involve repairing roofs, installing fittings and paint jobs.

Officials said a “spit and polish” would reduce a maintenance backlog to 34,000 Housing Trust homes, almost half of which need work or upgrades.

Liberal spokeswoman Michelle Lensink, said the Premier should apologise for giving regional services “the cold shoulder because he only cares about issues close to home”.