State Government’s public housing renewal program slammed as waiting lists balloon

SERIOUS concerns have been raised with the state government’s new $185m housing plan to sell off public land for private development, with public demand going through the roof.

PUBLIC housing wait lists are ballooning in Victoria with 1,500 people registering for the service within just three months.

The latest report into the crisis-riddled system revealed 57,877 adults and 24,622 children are seeking public housing, with 1,500 people signing up between January to March this year.

The alarming growth was revealed in the Public Housing Renewal Program report which is looking at a plan to replace estates with public-private accommodation.

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The Victorian Government is selling off public land for private development with sections set aside for public housing.

However, committee chair Margaret Fitzherbert said the panel had uncovered an alarming growth on the Victorian Housing Register as part of the inquiry and warned it needed to be addressed.

MP Margaret Fitzherbert. Picture: Penny Stephens

The report was also critical of the proposed plan to sell off current housing, saying there was no clarity on how many public properties would be replaced.

Members found the proposal could reduce the number of bedrooms for public housing tenants while maintaining the number of total properties had stayed the same.

Issues were also raised over consultation with current public housing tenants reporting they had not been allowed to seek independent advice when required to move from their homes and sign forms.

Recommendations from the panel include the Victorian Government clearly stating the number of social housing properties it hopes to provide under the plan.

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratman. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

It also recommended outcomes be linked directly to reducing the growing waiting list.

“We were very concerned by evidence that tenants were given paperwork to sign in relation to moving from their homes but were not allowed to take them away to obtain independent advice before signing,’’ Ms Fitzherbert said.

“We identified that the paperwork that tenants were asked to sign to relocate didn’t reflect the pledge that people would have an absolute right to return to estates when completed. The paperwork has now been changed — apparently due to scrutiny in this Inquiry — but this intervention shouldn’t have been necessary.

Low-rise public housing in the Debneys precinct in Flemington. Picture: Supplied

“It also appears that while the number of public housing dwellings will rise in these developments by at least 10 per cent, the number of bedrooms will decline — meaning less public housing capacity when the developments are finished. Given the tendering process is confidential, we were limited in how much we could test this — but it’s clear that many stakeholders reject this approach.”

Minister for Housing Martin Foley said the government would consider the findings.

“The committee report’s findings and recommendations acknowledge the seriousness of housing crisis, and back in the need to replace unsafe public housing with purpose-built homes for some of our most vulnerable Victorians -- and they deserve nothing less,’’ he said.

“The report also highlights the urgent need for more social housing -- so we call on the Liberals and the Greens to stop playing politics with people’s lives, and back our plan to deliver over 2000 new houses for people in need, create over 1000 jobs, and improve living conditions for public housing tenants across Victoria.”

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Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam warned the plan was not aimed at helping vulnerable Victorians.

“One of the Greens’ major objections to Labor’s public housing plan was that it heavily favours developers over public housing tenants, and this report does nothing to quell these fears.

“Something has gone seriously wrong when developers are consulted more than public housing tenants.”

The $185 million program was announced to redevelop older public housing across Melbourne and rural Victoria.

@alexwhitelive