Roger Jaensch,Minister for Housing
Sue Hickey,Liberal Member for Clark
An Expo will be held in October this year that will provide information and raise awareness about the range of services available for Tasmanians experiencing housing stress or who are at risk of homelessness.
Taking inspiration from the theme of this year's Homelessness Week, Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said the Housing Ends Homelessness Expo would be held in collaboration with the not-for-profit, local government and housing and community sectors, and would address the full spectrum of housing need, from crisis accommodation to affordable home ownership.
"Safe and secure housing is a fundamental need for every Tasmanian.The Expo will bring together services and information for those who may need support in the one place, at the one time," Minister Jaensch said.
"While we have met and exceeded the targets of our First Affordable Housing Action Plan, as part of our comprehensive 10-year Affordable Housing Strategy, and allocated an additional $5 million for immediate action to reduce homelessness and housing stress, we recognise the need for a whole-of-community approach.
"The expo recognises that not everyone knows about the range of services available and it is important to ensure Tasmanians can access the help they need, when they need it.
"Initiatives such as this have worked well in other jurisdictions, and I would like to thank the Liberal Member for Clark Sue Hickey for bringing forward this idea which will be project-managed by the Department of Communities as a priority action.
"Whilst this Expo will be held in Hobart, we hope to look to broadening the idea to other regions in future years."
Speaker of the House of Assembly and Liberal Member for Clark Sue Hickey said the Expo would be a one-stop-shop of information for those Tasmanians experiencing housing stress or at risk of homelessness.
"There are a lot of good people doing great things to help Tasmanians in need and I hope this Expo will be an opportunity to them to engage directly with people who may need their help," Ms Hickey said.
"Knowing where to go and who can help when things get tough is the first step in getting the right sort of help, to get back on their feet."
"I hope everyone can get behind it and bring people together on this really important issue."
