Wednesday, 17 May 2023

 Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:00): (137) My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Housing. As we have heard this morning, Victoria is in the middle of a housing crisis. Rents are at record highs and vacancies at record lows. Hundreds of thousands of households are in housing stress and at risk of homelessness, and over 120,000 people are waiting for a public home. We urgently need a massive investment in thousands of new public homes to solve our affordability crisis, but this government has been demolishing its public housing stock and directing funding to private community housing instead. Will next week’s budget include new funding to build thousands of new public housing units?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:00): Thank you, Mr Puglielli, for your question. I am sure that the Minister for Housing will be very pleased to provide you with a response to your question, and I will happily pass that to him.

 Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:01): I thank the minister for referring the question on for an answer. Minister, aside from their ‘Big Housing Build’ and the destruction and privatisation of public housing estates, the government has no long-term strategy or plan for public and affordable housing. While a 10-year strategy for social and affordable housing was developed and ready to be launched last year, it was abruptly shelved at the last minute and has not been released. Minister, will you release the 10-year strategy as a matter of urgency?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:01): Again, thank you, Mr Puglielli, for your supplementary question. I am again pleased to pass it to the minister.