Government launches $125 million action plan to tackle state’s housing crisis

The State Government has announced a four-year plan to help thousands of people access social or affordable accommodation.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch at the launch the Government’s $125 million housing plan.

THE State Government will spend $125 million over four years to assist 3600 households into social or affordable accommodation, Housing Minister Roger Jaesnch said.

The day after stinging criticism of the Government’s record on housing by Speaker Sue Hickey, Mr Jaensch said everything was being done to ease the housing crisis.

The Affordable Housing Action Plan includes funding for 607 new social housing homes, the release of 380 lots for new homes, help for 287 households into affordable home ownership.

It also provides for 88 units for homeless tenants, 137 supported accommodation units and 50 new homes for elderly Tasmanians.

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But Mr Jaesnch on Thursday did not address a question whether he would visit a Hobart housing estate condemned as “unfit for animals” by Ms Hickey.

“I commend Sue for going out and seeing things first-hand and she’s entitled to her opinion and to voice it on matters like that,” he said.

“Every Housing Tasmania house is clean when it it’s tenanted and there is a shared responsibility for maintenance of those properties and things like control of vermin.

“We think that the Tasmanian public probably do want also their tenants to be respecting the property that is provided for them, so that we can maintain everything with the budgets that we’ve got.”

Speaker Sue Hickey at Windsor Court in Glenorchy, which she says is “unfit for animals”. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

TasCOSS CEO Kym Goodes and Shelter Tasmania’s Patty Chugg welcomed the Government’s action plan.

Ms Chugg she said it would plug gaps where vulnerable people were currently not well served.

“It’s really important these buildings get up and really soon,” she said.

“One thing that’s beyond this plan that hasn’t been mentioned is community acceptance of these people.

“It’s really important that this plan is accepted by the community because everywhere we go to build facilities we have this objection to them, but we know from experience when they’re embedded in the community they are a real asset.”

Shelter Tasmania executive officer Pattie Chugg.

Ms Chugg said the biggest boon for housing in the state would be for the Federal Government to forgive the state’s longstanding public housing debt.

“We would like this to be a federal election issue,” she said.

“We know that is $157 million and $23 million is paid back each year towards that debt. Wouldn’t it be good to have that extra money?”

The call was echoed by the senior solicitor of the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania Ben Bartl.

“We have been pleading with the Government for years for increased funding in social housing with many social housing properties dilapidated and tenants living in homes without adequate heating,” he said.

“The Government must restructure the housing debt so that more Commonwealth social housing funding is redirected into maintenance and new social housing stock.”

Labor’s housing spokeswoman Alison Standen dismissed the plan as “glossy brochures and spin”.

“Liberal Speaker Sue Hickey has laid clear that the Government has done nothing in five years to address the housing crisis,” she said.

“Even members of the Hodgman Government are calling out how little has been done since the Liberals came to power.”

Master Builders Association executive director Matthew Pollock said the critical issue driving the housing crisis was supply.

“Since the Tasmanian economic recovery in 2015-16, population growth in the Hobart City Council area has been at least double and sometimes more than three times the amount of new dwelling approvals.

“The only way that this issue will be addressed is to increase housing supply.”