Thursday,12 September 2024

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (14:06): (1131) My question is for the Minister for Housing. At a community stakeholder meeting last month I met with various agencies and individuals who deal directly with people affected by homelessness in my region. I was told that there are currently 8000 people that do not have a home in Cardinia and Dandenong, but this figure is more than likely to be under-reported, as living in a car is not classed as being homeless. I was told that there are many things that the government can do right now to address this issue, including to stop taxing households that are using a room for short-term housing. My question to the minister is: are you willing to use all policy levers available to reduce taxes and incentivise households to relieve the burden of homelessness and provide more rooms for people so they can have a safe place to stay?