The number of disadvantaged Victorians on Labor’s social housing waitlist is at record levels and growing but is being kept hidden.
Social housing is a key factor in the fight against homelessness, but five weeks after the end of the financial year Housing Minister Richard Wynne is yet to release the social housing waiting list data for the June Quarter.
The number of Victorian applicants on the social housing waiting list has soared since Labor came to power, jumping from a total of just 34,618 in September 2014 to almost 51,000 in the March 2021 quarter, a 47 per cent blowout.
For applicants classified as “priority” the situation is dire. In September 2014, 9,990 priority applicants were on the waiting list, in March this year the numbers had almost tripled to 27,500.
Daniel Andrews has no plan to tackle Victoria’s worsening public housing crisis or provide meaningful support for the tens of thousands of Victorians struggling with homelessness.
This week is National Homelessness Week, intended to raise awareness of homelessness and the importance of social housing as part of a serious solution. The 2016 census estimated that almost 25,000 Victorians were homeless.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Housing, David Morris:
“The delay in the release of the housing waiting lists makes me wonder just how bad the news is going to be when the Minister finally releases the data.
“Despite their rhetoric, Richard Wynne and Daniel Andrews are guilty of having no plan for those Victorians struggling with homelessness. Instead of wasted billions on metro project cost blow outs and to polish his own public image with secret taxpayer-funded focus groups, Labor needs a plan to focus on delivering real support for Victorians.
“Daniel Andrews is keeping Victorians in the dark on the true state of the waiting list, and must commit to releasing the figures no more than three weeks after the end of the quarter.”
