Tuesday, 16 May 2023

 Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:36): (157) I have a constituency question today for the Minister for Housing: is the minister intending to increase the provision of emergency accommodation and housing support in Monash, in my electorate, in the upcoming budget? I am regularly in communication with residents within Monash who are seeking support for emergency accommodation, and what so often strikes me is that the sorts of people who are contacting me are not the sorts of people who stereotypically, one might think, would normally want to be in receipt of these sorts of government services. We know that the cost-of-living crisis is biting, and it is difficult for the government at this time to commit to a further provision of emergency housing, because of course every single day the government spends $10 million from the Victorian taxpayer seeking to service its own debt. So I understand this is difficult. This is not necessarily an expansion that I am advocating for, but I want to know: will the minister be providing more crisis accommodation within Monash, in my electorate, in the budget?