Thursday, 16 November 2023

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (12:07): (360) My question is to the Minister for Housing. A woman in Echuca who was fleeing domestic violence and needed urgent access to public housing was told that the best the state could offer her was a tent at a local caravan park for six months. Why is the government failing vulnerable women?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:07): Thank you for that question. Family violence has been a key driver for vulnerability, risk and need across so many parts of our system, and we know that when we address the challenges of family violence as they arise, predominately for women and children, we need to be able to provide people with somewhere that is safe and somewhere that has access to the appropriate level of support. This is about so much more than bricks and mortar and providing a roof over people’s heads. Mrs Broad, I am really keen to hear more about this particular matter that you have raised about this person in Echuca. I would very much like to talk about what can be done and what the situation was.

In the 2022–23 year almost one in five – so that was 859 – households experiencing family violence were allocated public housing. That is more than at any other time in the last six years. We also know that family violence is a key driver of demand for homelessness support services and that we have seen an increase of 50 per cent in support in homelessness assistance for people experiencing family violence since 2012–13. There are a few factors that have led to this. We have seen a range of pressures on our systems, not just here in Victoria but around Australia, and we know that the average waiting time reflects strong demand for social housing.

Budget paper 3 targets have shown us we have got a lot of work to continue to do, and that is exactly what we are doing. There has been an allocation in the 2022–23 budget of $69.1 million over four years to fund existing family violence refuges, to build and staff two new core and cluster refuges, to upgrade three existing partner agency operated facilities and also to purchase six new crisis accommodation properties. There has also been $40.4 million invested in a range of targeted housing support to transform and meet that critical demand.

When we do have a notification of family violence, triage occurs in relation to risk and vulnerability. Where housing is not able to be found immediately across the social housing stock, alternative accommodation is arranged so that people do have what they need in the short term, and that is where the crisis accommodation comes in. I will look into that matter if you can provide me with some further detail, and we can go from there.

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (12:10): Thank you, Minister, for your response and for your willingness to learn more about it. I guess as far as alternative accommodation goes, hopefully we can do better than a tent. Public housing wait times for women fleeing domestic violence have tripled to two years under this government. How many vulnerable Victorian women and their children are at risk because this government has failed to provide them with public housing?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:11): Thank you, Mrs Broad. I do not know whether you are seeking an opinion from me as to who may be at risk or may be vulnerable. Again, we have committed to record investment for social housing, for homelessness supports and also for making sure that, as part of the Big Housing Build, we are providing housing to people, including victims and survivors of family violence. The Big Housing Build will provide 1000 homes across that overall investment for people who are victims and survivors of family violence. It is also about making sure that we are providing people with the broader supports that they need. As I said in my answer to the first question, this is an issue that goes far beyond bricks and mortar, and again I am very happy to continue to work with you on the first issue you raised.