Media release – Prime Minister, Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Small Business, 18 June 2023
ALBANESE GOVERNMENT DELIVERING $50 MILLION FOR IMMEDIATE SOCIAL HOUSING BOOST IN TASMANIA
The Albanese Government is delivering $50 million to Tasmania to immediately begin boosting social housing stock.
Part of the $2 billion Social Housing Fund Accelerator payment, the funding will be provided to states and territories within the next two weeks, and will deliver thousands of new social homes across Australia.
Funding has been allocated on a per capita basis with a minimum of $50 million allocated to each state and territory.
This investment will build more housing, for more Australians, in more parts of our nation.
The Albanese Labor Government knows a secure home will give more Australians the foundation for a better future.
States and territories will have flexibility in how they permanently boost social housing stock, including through new builds, expanding existing programs, renovating or refurbishing existing but currently uninhabitable housing stock.
This will create thousands of homes for Australians on social housing waiting lists and will increase housing supply sooner, with all funding to be committed by states and territories within two years ending 30 June 2025.
This continues the work of the new National Housing Accord, a shared ambition to build one million new homes over five years from 2024, and builds on the work of National Cabinet on renters’ rights and planning reforms.
The Albanese Government will continue to work with state and territory governments to address housing affordability, supply, and homelessness.
The $2 billion in additional funding brings the Albanese Government’s investment in housing and homelessness to more than $9.5 billion in this financial year to 30 June.
Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
“My Government is delivering $50 million to Tasmania, within the next two weeks, to immediately boost social housing supply.
“We know Tasmanians want practical solutions, and we’ll work with the State Government to get on with the job of delivering more social housing.
“This is real dollars, driving real change and building more homes for Australians.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Housing and Homelessness Julie Collins:
“At every opportunity, the Albanese Government has added to our already ambitious housing agenda.
“This significant new funding will help build more of the rental homes that we know Tasmania needs.
“We could do even more if the Senate stopped blocking our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund – the single biggest investment in social and affordable rental housing by a Federal Government in more than a decade.”
| State | Funding |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | $610 million |
| Victoria | $496 million |
| Queensland | $398 million |
| Western Australia | $209 million |
| South Australia | $135 million |
| Tasmania | $50 million |
| Northern Territory | $50 million |
| Australian Capital Territory | $50 million |
Media release – Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Minister for Housing, 18 June 2023
Labor welcomes plan to address housing shortage
Tasmanian Labor welcomes the $50 million investment by the Albanese Government to build more social and affordable housing in Tasmania.
With more than 4,500 Tasmanians waiting nearly 80 weeks on average for somewhere to call home, this funding will help to get more homes built for people in need – something the Liberal State Government has consistently failed to do.
When the state Liberals first came to office 10 years ago in Tasmania, there were fewer than 2,200 people on the list for a home, waiting on average 21 weeks. Wait lists have since doubled, and wait times have quadrupled.
It’s pretty clear that if the Liberals haven’t come up with solutions to Tasmania’s housing crisis by now, they never will.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government will be expected to implement this funding and report regularly to the Federal Government. Tasmanian Labor will continue to hold them to account on this vital action.
Coupled with the Albanese Government’s investment, a future Tasmanian Labor Government would also act to ease the rental crisis by incentivising the development of 1,000 new private rental homes over five years, in addition to existing social housing commitments.
Labor would further increase the supply of social housing by urgently repairing 215 houses that remain untenantable and therefore unused across the state.
We will also regulate the short stay market, starting with a pause on new whole-home short stay permits that will help prevent the loss of any more rental housing from the market.
Labor would also expand the MyHome scheme to assist Tasmanians being able to get a foot in the door of home ownership, by enabling them to buy a home with a deposit of just 2 per cent.
Tasmania needs solutions to the housing crisis and only Labor will help deliver them.
Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier and Guy Barnett, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing, 17 June 2023
Funding boost increase for social housing supply is welcomed
Building more affordable homes is a key priority for the Tasmanian Liberal Government so we welcome today’s announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of an immediate $2 billion funding boost to increase social housing in Australia.
We know that increasing supply is the only long-term solution to demand pressures, which is why we are responding with the biggest housing plan in the state’s history – $1.5 billion over 10 years to build 10,000 social and affordable homes.
“I attended National Cabinet on Friday and all state and territory leaders agreed with the Prime Minister that increasing supply was an imperative,” Premier Rockliff said.
Guy Barnett, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing said he would be working with Homes Tasmania to ensure additional funding that flows to Tasmania delivers homes for those most in need.
“We established Homes Tasmania to be agile and innovative in looking at new housing options, opening up land quicker and specifically addressing the housing needs of Tasmanians, including youth, the elderly, those living with a disability, men, women and families.
“Our top three priorities are supply, supply and supply and this funding will help Homes Tasmania deliver that,” Minister Barnett said.
The Social Housing Accelerator funding in addition to the National Housing Accord which has a range of immediate actions to deliver a pipeline of housing supply to increase affordability.
“Tasmania is already well progressed on actions under the Housing Accord in areas such as land release and rezoning for social and affordable housing, working with local governments to increase land supply and our construction industry to build energy efficient homes,” Premier Rockliff said.
We are also delivering a range of other measures designed to build more houses and make it easier for all Tasmanians to get into the market by:
- Our shared equity program, MyHome
- Ancillary Dwellings Grants Program
- Private Rental Incentives Scheme and Affordable Rental Initiative trial.
- Headworks Holiday Program
- First Home Owners Grant Extension
- First Home Buyer and Pensioner Duty Concession
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has a plan to build a stronger economy and a safe and caring community. Additional Commonwealth funding announced today will assist us to deliver what is the most ambitious social and affordable housing plan in the nation.
