Thursday, 14 November 2019

 Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (18:15): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and it concerns a growing social housing crisis throughout my electorate of Northern Victoria. The action that I seek from the minister is for the minister to commit urgent funding to build more social housing properties throughout Northern Victoria Region. Since its election in 2014 the Andrews Labor government has completely failed vulnerable Victorians seeking access to social housing. The Andrews government’s shameful record on social housing has seen both the statewide social housing and priority housing waiting lists blow out in the last five years, and the minister needs to get on with the job of providing homes to the vulnerable Victorians who need them.

The statewide social housing waiting list has increased by a disgraceful 9534 families since September 2014, leaving 44 152 vulnerable Victorian families without access to social housing. Even more concerning are the 23 373 vulnerable families on the statewide priority housing waiting list, which has grown by 134 per cent, or 13 383 families, over the term of this government. The government likes to brag about its election commitment to acquire 1000 additional social housing properties across Victoria, but the reality is that in regional Victoria only Geelong and Ballarat will benefit from this policy. Nowhere in the state is the need for more additional social housing properties more prevalent than throughout my electorate of Northern Victoria.

In Shepparton the total number of applicants has more than doubled, rising by 693 applicants to reach 1293, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 251 per cent, rising by 452 applications to reach 632. In Bendigo the total number of applicants has increased by 68 per cent, rising by 762 applications to reach 1881, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 206 per cent, rising by 823 applications to reach 1223.

In Seymour the total number of applicants has increased by 71 per cent, rising by 159 applications to reach 383, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 190 per cent, rising by 127 applications to reach 194. In Benalla and Wangaratta the total number of applicants has increased by 62 per cent, rising by 284 applications to reach 742, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 211 per cent, rising by 257 applications to reach 379.

In Mildura the total number of applicants has increased by 46 per cent, rising by 197 applications to reach 621, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 221 per cent, rising by 221 applications to reach 321. In Wodonga the total number of applicants has increased by 21 per cent, rising by 105 applications to reach 605, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 55 per cent, rising by 83 applications to reach 235.