Labor points finger at government over new figures showing long wait times for public housing

Waiting times for public housing have blown out during the Liberals’ time in office, the state opposition says. Latest statistics reveal how many people waiting for a home.

Labor's Ella Haddad speaks to the media at parliament Square in Hobart on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Waiting times for public housing have blown out during the Liberals’ time in office, the state opposition says.

Labor’s housing spokeswoman Ella Haddad said the most recent figures showed a record waiting lists and accused the government of not doing enough to increase the number of social and affordable homes.

“Under ten years of Liberal Party neglect the housing system continues to go from bad to worse,” she said.

“The housing wait time under the Liberal Party has gone up more than four times from when they won government in 2014.

“The wait time to be housed on average has quadrupled under the Liberal Party. The wait list has now more than doubled.

Labor's Ella Haddad speaks to the media at parliament Square in Hobart on Monday, January 8, 2024.

“There are now more than 4700 families waiting on that social housing waitlist.

“That number represents families with children, there are thousands of people waiting on that waitlist while the government drags its feet on providing new social and government housing for people in desperate need.”

According to the most recent data published Homes Tasmania the number of households in public or community housing increased from 13,070 to 14,117 between 2016 and 2022 — an increase of eight per cent.

The state’s population grew by ten per cent over the same time period.

The number of people sleeping rough in Tasmania rose by 66 per cent between 2016 and 2021 according to Census data, the number of people in supported accommodation for the homeless rose by 87 per cent and the number of people in severely crowded dwellings rose by 165 per cent.

Acting Premier Michael Ferguson. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Acting Premier Michael Ferguson said the government had made increasing the housing supply a priority.

“We’ve got a growing population and also a growing agenda for building more homes in Tasmania, we’re building 10,000 additional social and affordable homes by 2032 and we’re on target,” he said.

“I will emphasise though that not everybody on the Housing Register requires a house tonight, it’s important that be recognised Homes Tasmania are looking after people on a priority basis and those people who are in the most urgent need will, of course, be looked after as a priority.”

Originally published as Labor points finger at government over new figures showing long wait times for public housing