There are nearly 1,200 Tasmanian households who currently rent their properties with support from the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).
NRAS is coming to an end over the next five years and with 167 Tasmanian properties to exit the scheme this year, tenants cannot afford market rent.
They face being evicted into homelessness but today in Parliament Premier Jeremy Rockliff admitted that he would do nothing to act on these evictions, some as soon as tomorrow.
This weak stance from the Premier further demonstrates the Liberal Government's failing housing policies over nearly a decade in government. All they are doing now is trying to play catch up after years of neglect, with big announcements that are too little too late.
Labor MPs have written several letters to Housing Minister Guy Barnett on behalf of NRAS tenants, but the Minister has not replied. This is disgraceful behaviour from the new Housing Minister.
The government has known NRAS would be coming to an end for the past eight years and has simply failed to turn any thought to the thousands of Tasmanians who were and are renting through the scheme.
These Tasmanians have nowhere else to turn and desperately need help from the Rockliff-Ferguson Government. So far it looks like that help won't come.
Ella Haddad
Shadow Minister for Housing
