MP calls for urgent action for boost crisis housing options
The plight of a Hobart man who is sleeping in his car with his dog has prompted a call for the government to start delivering crisis options to put a roof over more people’s heads. LATEST >>
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- Housing crisis: More than 4000 Tasmanians on the waitlist for social housing
- Tasmania’s social housing: suburbs with the most and least properties
JASON Brown is holding a ticket in an unhappy quinella: a spot on both the state’s public housing and elective surgery waiting lists.
Sleeping in his car isn’t doing much for his health, and Mr Brown says he can’t understand why it has taken more than two years and counting to find a place to live.
A bed would be a lot less painful for someone who is awaiting spinal surgery to fix ongoing problems caused by an accident.
“I got hit by a car 13 years ago, going on 14 years. I’ve been in and out of hospital with brain injuries, shoulder and spinal injuries,” Mr Brown said.
“I have got to have surgery next month sometime. I’ve been on the [housing] waiting list for going on three years now, close to it.
“I’m over it. I can’t do it no more — sleeping in your car, couch surfing with mates or with my daughters.
“It’s not good enough for the Tasmanian government to keep people out of a house.
“There’s plenty of houses out there, old houses, that are empty, that have been empty for two years or longer.”
One of the sticking points is Mr Brown’s loyalty to his sole companion.
“I’ve got a dog and he’s my mate and I won’t get rid of him and Housing reckons you can’t have a dog. I reckon that’s crap.
“I’m not getting rid of my dog. He’s my friend, my mate, my buddy, he sleeps with me, he’s my protection.”
It was revealed on Monday that 4000 Tasmanian households are on the waiting list for public housing.
Local MP Kristie Johnston called on the government to create more options for crisis accommodation to fix a broken system.
“Yesterday we heard the Housing Minister Mr Ferguson talk, again, about the government’s credentials about solving the housing crisis, but he kept talking numbers,” she said.
“What he is failing to understand is that these are people.
“They’re not just numbers on the ever-increasing waiting list for housing.
“These are people who are facing serious situations of absolute housing crisis and the minister must act faster.”
Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing Michael Ferguson said he was reluctant to talk about individual cases, but housing agencies were doing what they could.
“I’m satisfied that options have been provided to this gentleman, and if we can improve on that we will do so,” he said.
“I’ve had a briefing, and I understand this gentleman’s circumstances, and I’m aware that the Department of Communities have provided this gentleman with accommodation options.
“And we would encourage him to feel that he can accept those options, which would be a far better outcome than sleeping rough.
“And we hope that by working together, we can assist this gentleman to get something that’s suitable and agreeable to him.”
Government’s ‘spin’ out of the housing crisis under fire
THE state government will spend $615m delivering community housing between now and 2027, State Development, Construction, and Housing Michael Ferguson says.
But Labor has questioned whether the government’s future achievements would be any better than its past record.
Inspecting new dwellings under construction at Howrah, Mr Ferguson said the state’s largest building program of new social housing for decades will mean new homes for 3,500 Tasmanian households by 2027.
Figures released on Monday revealed that 4000 Tasmanian households have applications on the housing register — up 573 from 12 months earlier and that priority applicants are waiting more than 55 weeks to be housed.
“The number is reasonably stable in terms of the number of people who are eligible for social housing at around 4000 people who have applied,” Mr Ferguson responded.
“Now many of those people already have homes, or they’re looking for the discounted rent, or extra security or they might need a larger home.”
“As we work through that list, we’ll continue to focus on people who are on the priority needs, who have immediate and urgent needs and for anyone who is currently homeless will continue to provide brokerage and overnight services and the intensive supportive of Housing Connect.”
The government will shortly transfer 2,000 public housing properties managed by Housing Tasmania to long-term management agreements with community housing providers, saying it will result “certainty and confidence for both tenants and financial institutions”.
Labor’s Housing spokeswoman Anita Dow accused Mr Ferguson of trying to “spin” his way out of the housing crisis.
“What the Minister fails to realise is that after seven years of failures, Tasmanians can see right through another housing announcement today,” Ms Dow said.
“It is simply unbelievable that Minister Ferguson is touting his government’s abysmal housing track record as a success, when the state is gripped with a housing crisis.”
Ms Dow said that sadly of the 4000 Tasmanians on the public housing waitlist almost half were families with children.
“On the eve of homelessness week, and the midst of another cold winter, what additional support is the government providing to assist Tasmanians to get a roof over their head right now?
“People are being forced to rely on the goodwill of family and friends for shelter while Minister Ferguson makes more empty announcements.”
Tasmania tops economic rankings yet again
TASMANIA’S economy has again been crowned the strongest in the country, with a new report saying the state’s impressive performance is founded on robust population growth.
The CommSec State of the States report measures the performance of each state and territory every quarter using eight key indicators: economic growth, retail spending, equipment investment, unemployment, construction work done, population growth, housing finance and dwelling commencements.
For the sixth quarter in a row, Tasmania has topped CommSec’s rankings, with the report released today showing that the state leads the nation in four of the eight segments – relative population growth, equipment investment, relative unemployment and dwelling starts.
“(Tasmania is) unlikely to face any challenge to its dominance on the key economic indicators for at least the next six months,” CommSec chief economist Craig James said.
“It is important to note that all states and territories are performing solidly. That is no small feat in an environment dominated by Covid-19 with the frequent, but necessary, lockdowns and border closures.”
The report identified population growth as the strength of the Tasmanian economy and housing finance as its weakness.
Tasmania has a 0.6 per cent annual population growth rate even amid the pandemic – that’s just 0.7 per cent below the decade average rate for the year to December. However, the state is still experiencing its slowest rate of population growth in four years.
Housing finance commitments in Tasmania were 63.7 per cent higher than the decade average, with the state ranking third-worst on this indicator, ahead of only Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the CommSec report was “fantastic news”.
“Equipment investment in Tasmania was up 52.3 per cent on the decade average, demonstrating the resilience and confidence of our business owners who are willing to invest in their future after the disruption of last year,” he said.
“Tasmania also remained in top spot for dwelling starts, which were 61.1 per cent above the decade average, with CommSec stating that ‘Tasmanian dwelling starts were at 27-year highs’.
“But as we’ve seen recently, the Covid-19 pandemic remains an ever-present threat, and we know there is more work to do to continue these gains so that all Tasmanians can benefit.”
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