Thursday, 20 February 2025

Veterans housing

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:27): (819) My question is to the minister for housing. State government bids to the federal government’s Housing Australia Future Fund Facility, round 2, recently closed. Applications invited submissions that improved outcomes for members of the Australian Defence Force – our veterans. Did you include any veteran housing projects in your funding application?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:27): Thank you very much for that question, Ms Bath, and thank you for your interest in the Housing Australia Future Fund. We are really determined to make sure that we can continue to partner with the Commonwealth, including on the way in which we allocate housing to the areas where it is needed most. The Commonwealth’s Housing Australia Future Fund is chiefly geared towards community housing. This is housing that is delivered by not-for-profit organisations and for-purpose organisations. They are organisations which serve a range of purposes in finding housing that addresses the need across the housing register.

When we are talking about defence housing – which I think is what you touched on in your question, if I am not mistaken, Ms Bath – we are not talking about people who are on the housing register. If you are talking about people who are looking for access to housing through social housing – chiefly community housing under the Housing Australia Future Fund – then they must be people who have that application in train. To the extent that there is overlap between people who are part of defence force personnel, returned service personnel or veterans personnel and people within the community who are otherwise making applications, then they would be in a position to access community housing, which is, as I said, overwhelmingly the scope of the Housing Australia Future Fund and that work that we are doing in unlocking funding through the federal government. That might provide you with a bit of context. In terms of specific examples, however, of anyone who might be looking for assistance with housing on the housing register, I am very happy to provide you with information if you can give me some more detail.

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:29): I thank the minister for her response. The grant criteria allow for the state to partner with community housing providers, as you have just stated. Vasey RSL Care presented you with a proposal that would have delivered 150 badly needed residences for veterans by replacing old structures and adding an additional 22 new homes. Why have you not identified this as a high priority and included it in your application?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:30): Thank you for that supplementary question, Ms Bath, and it would appear that the substantive question is very, very different to the supplementary question, because what I heard you say was ‘defence housing’. Now, defence housing is managed –

A member interjected.

Harriet SHING: When we talk about Vasey housing, that is housing for returned service personnel and for veterans, not for people who are in active service. It is really, really important that we can create that distinction. Vasey is not a registered housing provider, so it is really important that, again, we talk to the partnerships that apply. People can partner with community housing providers in order to make applications to funds such as the Housing Australia Future Fund. This occurs across a range of organisations, including Aboriginal community organisations who are in a position to partner with community housing providers, and that is work that I have been encouraging Community Housing Industry Association representatives and members to do. Again, what I would encourage anybody to do in understanding the work – (Time expired)