The Gutwein Government's own data on the continuing state of Tasmania's housing crisis has exposed Minister Michael Ferguson's lofty claim that he is building a house a day as a pure invention.
Shadow Housing Minister Ella Haddad said Michael Ferguson could no longer try to con Tasmanians into believing he was building to house them when his own housing dashboard information released today showed only 15 new social housing dwellings were constructed in December.
Ms Haddad said additionally with just 270 new homes built over the past year, Mr Ferguson was falling well short of his repeated boast that he was responsible for the construction of one home every single day.
Meantime, almost 4,400 Tasmanian families remain languishing on the housing wait list and priority applicants will wait almost 63 weeks - or 15 months - to be housed.
"The average number of weeks priority applicants for housing will wait is now 62.9 weeks - up from 54 weeks a year ago and 26 weeks when the Liberal Government was elected," Ms Haddad said.
"Mr Ferguson is very, very good at boasting about building but abysmal at actually delivering while Tasmanians couch surf, sleep rough, get turned away from shelters or live in insecure, dangerous circumstances.
"He is not building a house a day - that is just a fact.
"And in the past six months, there has been no construction of new supported accommodation, no land releases and no building of homeless accommodation.
"Mr Ferguson, in denying the housing crisis and refusing to see what is clear to everyone else, is actively deceiving all Tasmanians, particularly those who are without secure accommodation.
"This housing wait list remains at an historic high and that is just devastating for literally thousands of families who are stuck with a government and a Minister who choose not to make housing a priority."
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Housing Minister
