Media release 6 March 2019
State Budget must rectify neglect of social housing
Population up, social housing down; 'a formula for homelessness', says peak
Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) is calling on the Victorian Government to urgently intervene in the homelessness crisis in its 2019-20 State Budget, by committing to building enough social housing to meet the state's growing needs.
In its Pre-Budget Submission, CHP says that despite a rapidly growing population (up 11% in just 5 years), Victoria's social housing has steadily declined to just 3.2 per cent of all housing stock, down from 3.6 per cent in 2010/11.
'Neglecting social housing while the population booms is a very effective formula for increasing homelessness. People on low incomes continue to flood homeless services, and the best we can do is add their name to the growing social housing waiting list and tell them to be patient,' said Ms Jenny Smith.
On top of this, Victoria now spends less on social housing per head of population than any other state (Productivity Commission Report on Government Services, 2019), with just $83 per spent per head compared to $172 per head in NSW.
In its pre-budget submission, CHP is calling for:
3,000 new public and community-owned homes each year
· Continued funding for the Private Rental Assistance Program
· A comprehensive approach to outreach into rooming houses
· An expanded fund for housing and support for young people experiencing homelessness
· More emergency resources for flexible funding of accommodation
