Wednesday, 15 November 2023

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Report 2022–23

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:36): I rise to talk on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing annual report and particularly this government’s failure in public housing. What we have seen today exposed by the Shadow Minister for Housing Richard Riordan is the absolute farce of this government’s supposed Big Build, which is more of a big let-down when it comes to public and social housing. What we have seen is Labor promise that they were going to build 12,800 new homes, but what we know is that since 2018, with more than half the money – nearly all the money – spent, they have added just 394 additional public housing properties statewide. We know that they knock down houses, we know that they sell off houses and we know that they lease some houses, and they hand those leases back too. They are very reticent to tell you about those things, but that is why the numbers differ. They only tell you about the new additions; they do not tell you about the ones that they have disposed of.

What we have seen also is a disgraceful rise in the length of time that people are waiting to be allocated public housing. For a woman who is escaping a domestic violence situation, probably with children as well, that time has blown out since 2018 from 8.8 months for her to be housed to 23.6 months. That is two years. Imagine staying in a situation where you are unsafe for two years waiting for this government to find you somewhere to live, somewhere you can take your children and be safe. It is an absolute disgrace.

In my own region we have seen huge growth in public housing and social housing waiting lists and very little offered to help with that in the way of new housing. Since 2018 in Shepparton we have seen the priority access list grow to 1549 families. That is a growth figure of 1129 additional families who have priority status – they are escaping domestic violence, they are homeless or they have a disability or a special housing need – and what have the government added in the way of social housing stock? Ninety-six – 96! – but 1129 families have joined that list, so it is going to be a very long wait for people. In Seymour their priority list has grown to 906 families. That is an additional 774 on the list. Just 30 homes have been added in the Seymour area. In Benalla and Wangaratta there are 981 families on that priority list – an additional 742 since 2018 – and there are only 85 additional properties. In Bendigo we see 2194 families on that priority housing waiting list, but the government have added only 70 new properties since 2018. In Mildura there are 1029 families on the priority list, up from 234, so an increase of 795 families on that list, and only 26 new homes added to the stock in Mildura.

This government is failing Victorians when it comes to providing adequate social and public housing. They like to talk big, but their failure is also big. It is not the Big Build, it is the big let-down, and the government need to do a lot more. The minister needs to get across her brief. We have seen in question time that she really does not know much about this portfolio, and I do not think she likes the portfolio very much by her attitude in question time. She is more intent on attacking other people than she is on assisting Victorians who are in desperate need of housing. I would say to this minister: reprioritise your priorities. Prioritise your thoughts to the people who are hurting, the people who need your assistance, rather than prioritising smart alec comments across the chamber and attacking other members of Parliament. The social housing portfolio is a very serious portfolio. It provides assistance to some of our most vulnerable Victorians, and the minister should start to focus on it.