Tasmanian housing crisis drags on, one month after $5m announced

Tasmania Labor says homeless people have waited long enough for support as discussions continue on expanding capacity at emergency shelters.

Tasmanian Labor shadow minister, Alison Standen speak about the lack of progress of the Liberal party in relation to emergency / public housing. They are pictured at Clarendon Vale. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

ONE month has passed since Housing Minister Roger Jaensch announced the State Government would purchase or rent prefabricated units to house people in urgent need of shelter.

A Communities Department spokesman said last week that work was “progressing rapidly” to identify suppliers and finalise agreements that will eventually boost the state’s emergency housing stock.

“Communities Tasmania is actively working with crisis housing providers to increase the capacity of their existing accommodation and support provision through the use of prefabricated units,” the spokesman said.

“Work is also being progressed to ensure the appropriate planning approvals are considered to enable these units to be delivered.”

Tasmanian Labor shadow minister, Alison Standen speak about the lack of progress of the Liberal party in relation to emergency/public housing. They are pictured at Clarendon Vale. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

But Labor housing spokeswoman Alison Standen said homeless people had waited long enough.

“A month after Roger Jaensch’s housing and homelessness crisis meeting, a month further into Tasmania’s winter, and the situation is worse than ever,” the Franklin Labor MHA said.

“The Minister has failed to produce the promised work plan, and failed to provide stakeholders and the community with the details and reassurance they need to prove that he is acting with urgency.”

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Mr Jaensch announced last month that Cabinet had approved $5 million in emergency funding to help house Tasmania’s homeless.

Part of that money will be spent brokering extra accommodation from tourism operators.

The Communities Department spokesman and Mr Jaensch said work was progressing on the expansion of this initiative.

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“Housing Connect is proactively working with tourism operators to secure more accommodation options,” the Communities Department spokesman said.

Mr Jaensch added: “Tourism operators have been made aware of the additional funding to secure longer-term accommodation options and it has been received positively by the industry.”

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch in his offices. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

The Government yesterday advertised for expressions of interest for the construction of 150 homes under the Community Housing Grant Program. Ninety of those should be built before December next year, Mr Jaensch said.

“Delivered under our Affordable Housing Action Plan Two, they will be constructed in the areas of highest demand across the state,” he said.

“Importantly, the new homes will be targeting priority applicants from the housing register.”

The latest Human Services data showed 3318 people were waiting for public housing. Priority applicants – those assessed as most in need – were waiting an average 50 weeks.

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