Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader and Housing spokesperson
More than 4000 Tasmanians are languishing in stress on the soaring public housing waiting list.
The latest official data* paints a grim picture of a deepening housing crisis, and a government that created the problem and doesn’t care enough to really tackle it.
The data reported in today’s Examiner and Advocate shows that as of March 4,006 people were waiting on the Housing Register. That’s up 12% from 3,578* compared to the same time last year, and 84% from 2,183** under a Green Housing Minister when the Liberals took government in 2014.
There are now 1,823 more people waiting for housing than when the Liberals were first elected. Despite the spin from the Gutwein Government, the growth of the waiting list is actually accelerating.
This is not just incompetence. The Liberals have consistently made deliberate choices to deprioritise the needs of struggling Tasmanians. Instead they’ve focused on pork-barreling and policies that line the pockets of their wealthy mates and big corporations.
We heard a lot of desperate spin coming from the Liberals during the State election, but the truth is the promises they’ve made will not go close to solving the housing crisis.
If the Gutwein Government was serious about housing, they would commit to building 10,000 new homes in the next 10 years, finally put strong limits on AirBnB and other short stay accommodation, and act to protect tenants from unreasonable rent increases and unfair evictions.
Sadly, their form shows they will just keep showing contempt for Tasmanians struggling to find a secure and affordable place to call home.
* Human Services Dashboard - https://www.health.tas.gov.au/humanservicesstats/human_services_dashboard
** Your Health and Human Services Progress Chart, June 2014 - http://www.health.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/164148/DHHS_Pro...