Social housing build grinds to a halt as homelessness crisis grows

 Government builds just 37 of its promised 430 social houses with a year left until deadline
 Public housing approvals decline by 40 per cent
 Hobart rental prices now unaffordable to average income families
The Hodgman Liberal Government has delivered less than 10 per cent of a promised 430 social housing dwellings as Tasmania remains in the grip of an unprecedented housing crisis.
Shadow Housing Minister Josh Willie said as the housing affordability and homeless crisis and the urgent need for more public housing continued to grow, the Liberals have built just 37 social housing homes over the past four years.
“That’s a shocking, unacceptable record from a government which claims it is addressing homelessness and housing affordability,” Mr Willie said.
“The government promised to deliver 430 social houses between 2015 and 2019 and, with just 37 completed, Tasmanians cannot believe Housing Minister Roger Jaensch can deliver the outstanding 393 homes by June next year.
“At the same time ABS data on building approvals shows a 40 per cent decline in public housing approvals.
“It’s appalling that this Minister and the government are not genuinely addressing the housing crisis.
“At the same time, Hobart has become unaffordable according to today’s Rental Affordability Index which shows we now outrank Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth as the most unaffordable city in the country for families trying to rent a home.
“While the private rental market is now out of reach of working families, the safety net of social housing has all but disappeared under the Liberals.
“The government and Mr Jaensch are missing in action on homelessness and housing affordability with no vision and no plan and Tasmanian families are paying the price.”
Josh Willie MLC Shadow Housing Minister