Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing, 22 March 2023

Housing data proof we must keep delivering on our housing plan

The Rockliff Liberal Government has always said that having a roof over your head is a fundamental right which is why have the most ambitious social and affordable housing plan in Tasmanian history.

Today’s release of the 2021 ABS Census data shows how widespread hardship is across Australia with increases in homelessness rates in all but two jurisdictions.

In 2021, Tasmania had the third lowest rate of homelessness at 42.1 per 10,000 people and below the national rate of 48.2.

While the data is disappointing it is also not surprising as our own Tasmanian Government data has shown this increase through the housing dashboard and we know there is still much more work to do.

“While the ABS figures show the rate of homelessness in Tasmania is the 3nd lowest in Australia, the Government continues to invest record amounts to help vulnerable Tasmanians,’’ Minister Barnett said.

“Tasmania had the highest expenditure of all states for housing and homelessness of $327.92 per person in 2021 22, much higher than the national average of $230.62 per person.

“However, we recognise the barriers and challenges families can face in securing safe accommodation, which is why we invest over $36 million each year in specialist homelessness services.

“There are 18 homeless shelters operating around the state that provide crisis, transitional and emergency accommodation for Tasmanians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

“Homes Tasmania has more than 100 units of homelessness accommodation in its construction pipeline, which will deliver even more emergency housing for families in need,’’ Minister Barnett said.

The Tasmanian Government, through Homes Tasmania, is investing in our young people through more shelters and more supported accommodation options.

This includes expanding our Youth2Independence (Y2I) program, with a new 26-bed facility under construction in Hobart, a 25-bed facility being built in Burnie and a recently completed 20-bed expansion of the Launceston site, adding to the 30 beds already in that facility.

The number of older people experiencing homelessness has significantly increased and we are investing in specific supported accommodation programs with Wintringham Specialist Aged Care. This includes an Integrated Aged Care facility that was opened on Hobart’s eastern shore in September last year.

As part of the Tasmanian Government’s election commitments, $20 million has been announced for the construction of supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the north and north-west of the state.

We are also increasing the supply of crisis and emergency accommodation for men and women around the state, including;

  • 15 new units at the Launceston Women’s Shelter that were opened last month, more than doubling the facility’s capacity.
  • Secure funding for the next three years for the Safe Spaces program state-wide.
  • funding the construction of six additional units at Salvation Army Housing’s McCombe House women’s shelter in Hobart and 21 units for women aged 55 and over in Moonah, also with Salvation Army Housing.
  • a new 50-bed crisis and transitional accommodation facility for men is being built on the site of the former Waratah Hotel, in Hobart, which will deliver a massive increase in capacity for Bethlehem House.
  • funding the construction of the first dedicated men’s shelter on the north-west coast, that will provide housing for up to eight men with or without children. Construction of the Devonport facility is expected to be completed in May.
  • provided $2.4 million towards the cost of building 15 new units of accommodation at Rokeby that will provide much-needed housing for older men who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness.
  • The Tasmanian Government recognises that there has been considerable demand for housing in recent years and Tasmanians can be assured that we are responding by delivering the most ambitious and comprehensive social and affordable housing program in the state’s history.

The Tasmanian Government recognises that there has been considerable demand for housing in recent years and Tasmanians can be assured that we are responding by delivering the most ambitious and comprehensive social and affordable housing program in the state’s history.

The Government recognises the housing struggles facing many Tasmanians and is responding with a massive 10-year, $1.5 billion housing package – the largest housing investment in the state’s history.

Our plan will deliver 10,000 new affordable homes and units by 2032 to meet the diverse housing needs of Tasmanians, including youth, the elderly, those living with a disability, men, women and families.

We also set an ambitious target to deliver 1,500 social and affordable homes by June 2023 and we are tracking well with over 800 of these homes completed as at the end of February 2023.

If you are at risk of homelessness, please contact Housing Connect, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 800 588.

Media release – Homelessness Australia, 22 March 2023

Hundreds of children sleeping rough as census reveals homelessness surge

The latest Census data reveals 387 children were sleeping rough on Census night in 2021, as the overall number of people experiencing homelessness surged by five per cent.

Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia, said the figures were a sobering reminder of the growing threat of housing stress and the need to grow homelessness support capacity to respond to growing community need.

“Australia is in the midst of its worst housing crisis in living memory. We have women and children fleeing violence and becoming trapped in homelessness. As one of the world’s wealthiest nations it is inconceivable that children are sleeping rough. We can and must do better.”

The Census data confounds stereotypes of homelessness. It finds 56 percent of people experiencing homelessness were women and children, 16 percent were over 55, and 14 per cent are young people aged 19-24.

According to the Census data, Tasmania suffered the worst percentage increase in homelessness, increasing 45 per cent. While the Northern Territory recorded a percentage decline, its overall incidence of homelessness remained stubbornly high, accounting for more than ten per cent of the national homelessness population.

“These statistics are alarming but they need to do more than shock. They need to galvanise action,” Kate Colvin said.

“Australia needs a three pronged approach strategy to end homelessness, starting with providing people with the homelessness support they need to have a genuine path out of homelessness. Instead of increasing investment, homelessness services are facing a funding cliff, with up to $65 million in federally funded homelessness support funding not confirmed beyond June 2023. Without this funding, homelessness services will have to reduce support capacity by more than 600 front line workers.

“People also need adequate income to pay for rising rents. Current levels of income support payments such as Commonwealth Rent Assistance are woefully inadequate. In the midst of our worst ever housing crisis, this payment needs to increase by 50 per cent and Jobseeker and Youth Allowance need to increase to at least $76 a day.

“An ongoing commitment to expand social housing by at least 25,000 homes a year would also provide more people on low and modest incomes with the stable, secure housing they need.”

Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Housing Minister, 22 March 2023

Homelessness getting worse under Liberals

Tasmania’s housing crisis is getting worse after nearly a decade under the Liberals according to new ABS figures released today:

  • Tasmania’s current rate of homelessness has increased by 35 per cent from 31 people per 10,000 in 2011, to 42 per 10,000 people in 2021.
  • This means that in 2021 there were 2350 people homeless in Tasmania, up from 1537 people in 2011 – an increase of 813.
  • The figures show that Tasmania now has the highest proportion of people experiencing homelessness staying temporarily with other households, at 25 per cent compared to the national average of 14 per cent. These people are often couch surfing from place to place, stopping only a few nights here and there and often in insecure and unsuitable housing conditions.
  • Tasmania also has second highest proportion of people experiencing homelessness living in tents or sleeping rough, at 10 per cent, compared to the national average of 6 per cent.
  • 569 kids under 18 were homeless in Tasmania in 2021.

After nearly a decade in power, the Liberals continue to utterly fail Tasmanians on housing.

The housing dashboard data tells the same story, with over 4,500 families still stuck on the social and government housing waiting list, with the average waiting times now more than a year longer than when the Liberals first formed Government in 2014.

This is simply deplorable and a sign of a decade of Liberal neglect at both the state and federal levels.

The government has promised big on housing, saying it would deliver 10,000 homes in ten years, but like with all their other promises, the Liberals consistently under-deliver. They have fallen drastically short of their own target, each and every month since they made that commitment, building only 10 homes in January 2023, and 17 in December 2022.

In contrast, housing is a key priority for Labor and a Tasmanian Labor Government would immediately get to work to fix the housing mess this government has created in their decade in office.

We would start with statewide regulation of the short stay accommodation market to take the pressure off the private rental market; as well as prioritising the urgent repair of the 215 social and government houses that sit untenantable under the Liberals, which would ensure 215 families needing social or government housing could be safely housed.

Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Housing Minister, 23 March 2023

569 homeless children should be a greater priority than a billion dollar stadium

The fact there are 569 homeless children aged 18 or less in Tasmania today is a shocking indictment of the Liberal Government’s failure over nearly a decade to make housing a priority.

The figure represents a more than 50 per cent increase in youth homelessness over the past five years, and 325 of these children are under 12 years old.

Our children are our future, but these children face a very uncertain future while their current circumstances are so bleak.

4,500 families remain stuck on the social and government housing waiting list, with the average waiting times now more than a year longer than when the Liberals first formed Government in 2014.

Tasmanian community services such as St Vincent de Paul Society, including the shelter they run at Bethlehem House are seeing first-hand the suffering of countless Tasmanians and are working in an incredibly stretched funding environment.

This shocking data is simply deplorable and a sign of a decade of Liberal neglect at both the state and federal levels.

Meanwhile, despite being too embarrassed to mention it in Parliament, the Rockliff Liberal Government maintains its blind obsession with building a billion dollar stadium at Mac Point.

Building housing for 569 homeless children would cost a fraction of what’s being set aside by the Liberals for their vanity project, and should be a much greater priority for a government that is supposed to care about Tasmanians.

Media release – Jacqui Lambie Network, 22 March 2023

TASMANIA’S HOMELESSNESS GROWING FASTEST IN COUNTRY: NEW STATS​

New homelessness statistics published today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal Tasmania’s rate of homelessness is growing twice as fast as any other state or territory.

Graph source & underlying data here.

Tasmania’s rate of homelessness per 10,000 people has increased from 24 people to 42 people per 10,000, a 75 per cent increase in 15 years.

A further 728 people have become homeless since 2016, up from 1,622 in 2016 to 2,350 in 2021.

LINES ATTRIBUTABLE TO SENATOR TAMMY TYRRELL:

“Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund might build 600 homes in Tasmania in the next five years, if we’re lucky.

“This latest census data shows that 600 isn’t enough. It’s an insult.

“The amount of housing they’re talking about for Tasmania isn’t going to cover the people who’ll become homeless in the next five years.

“Let alone the people who need help right now.

“That’s why I’m asking Labor’s Housing Minister Julie Collins, as a fellow Tasmanian, to see sense and guarantee 1,200 homes for Tasmania over the next five years.

“It’s enough to get ahead of the rapidly growing problem. Anything less, we go backwards.

“If the Tasmanian Housing Minister won’t stick up for Tasmania, who will?”

Cassy O’Connor MP, Greens Leader, 23 March 2023

Census Lays Liberals’ Homelessness Failure Bare

New data on the massive increase in homelessness in Tasmania is deeply distressing, and again highlights the need for urgent action from government.

Recently released figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the number of homeless people in the state has jumped from 1,622 in 2016 to 2,350 people in 2021. This 44.8% increase is the largest of any state. Given the skyrocketing cost of living – including rental prices going through the roof – this figure would undoubtedly be even higher today.

The number of people living in severely overcrowded conditions has also increased by 165%, and median rental costs have increased by 60%. Meanwhile, the Liberals have done nothing to alleviate the stress of renters, and have passed two separate tax cuts for investment property owners.

The Premier’s responses in Question Time suggested he isn’t that concerned, because we aren’t the worst in the country. This is entirely the wrong benchmark.

If we needed any more proof that the Tasmanian Liberals are silver-spooned Tories, who fundamentally don’t care about, or understand, the desperate crisis ordinary Tasmanians find themselves facing, this was it.

In their nine years in government, the Liberals have overseen – and even encouraged – a growing crisis in housing. The result of this is hundreds more Tasmanians living in homelessness, and thousands more on the brink.

The Liberals have spent years denying the need to properly invest in social housing, continue to refuse to limit short stay rentals, scoff at any suggestion that tenants should be given basic protection from massive rent hikes, and think it’s fine that thousands of homes around the state sit empty.

The Greens have consistently pushed for common sense, achievable solutions to this devastating social crisis. But the only time this government has lifted a finger on housing is to deliver increased profits to big developers or to wealthy property investors.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff and his colleagues should hang their heads in shame over these appalling homelessness figures, and take immediate action to tackle this still-worsening crisis.

Media release – TasCOSS, 23 March 2023

Government’s stark homelessness admission highlights inadequate policy response

Homelessness data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday should serve as a wake-up call for the Tasmanian Government.

TasCOSS Acting CEO, Dr Charlie Burton, said Housing Minister Guy Barnett’s response to a dramatic increase in the number of Tasmanians now experiencing homelessness left much to be desired.

“We were taken aback by the Minister’s response to the finding that significantly more Tasmanians are now sleeping rough under the Government’s watch, labelling the sharp increase as ‘not surprising,’ said Dr Burton.

“This is a stark and frankly concerning admission from the Government, which highlights the fact that their policy response remains inadequate.

“We shouldn’t be prepared to accept higher rates of homelessness and more people sleeping rough as a new normal.

“It begs the question: if this concerning data doesn’t ‘surprise’ the Government or jolt them to act, then what level of homelessness or depth to the current crisis are they willing to accept?”

“Applying the increasing rate of homelessness to our current population, the actual number of Tasmanians experiencing homelessness is likely to be higher than 2,600.”

Dr Burton said safe, secure and affordable housing is a human right and the foundation upon which all Tasmanians need to get a good start in life.

“Without a home it is a struggle, if not impossible, to engage in education, training, employment and social connectedness — all further foundations for living a decent life,” he said.

“We know that sleeping rough is a last resort, but for many Tasmanians they are left with no other choice with the wait time for social housing well over a year.

“While building more social and affordable homes is a priority, the Government also has an obligation to seriously investigate more short- to medium-term measures to house Tasmanians who are experiencing homelessness and acute housing stress.

“The good news is there are evidence-based solutions which will alleviate pressure on the housing market, such as introducing an empty homes levy, regulating short-stay accommodation, capping rents and undertaking an urgent review of the Residential Tenancy Act.

“We need a healthy, housed and supported population if our state is to grow in a way that is fair and inclusive. We call on the Tasmanian Government to do more right now to support Tasmanians without a home.”