18th of June 2024, 2:05pm
Legislative Council of Victoria, Spring Street, Melbourne
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan):
My constituency question is to the Minister for Housing. My constituent works in the homelessness sector in the City of Brimbank and contacted me in response to the government’s new housing targets announced over the weekend.
Brimbank has the highest incidence of homelessness in Melbourne, including rough sleepers and those couch surfing. My constituent says that boosting housing supply is a worthy aspiration, but without targets for social and affordable housing it will do little to address the epidemic of homelessness in the west.
The Productivity Commission Report on Government Services released in January this year reveals public and community housing residents make up just 2.9 per cent of Victoria’s households. This is the lowest percentage in Australia.
My constituent asks: will the minister work with the City of Brimbank and other councils in Melbourne’s west to ensure the proposed housing targets include at least 10 per cent social and affordable housing, including housing prioritising First Nations people?
Written Answer
Received: 02 August 2024
Hon Harriet Shing MP
(Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality)
I thank the member for the Western Metropolitan Region and his constituent for their question about Social and Affordable housing targets for councils in Melbourne’s West.
The Allan Labor Government recognises that Victorians deserve the dignity of living in a home that is safe, secure and fit-for-purpose. We know there is high demand for social and affordable housing across Victoria, which is why the Government is making record investments in housing across a range of programs.
Currently, Victoria leads the way in housing investment and is committed to investing is social and affordable housing. Our unprecedented recent investment of over $8 billion in social and affordable housing is delivering safe, secure, and appropriate housing for people with mental illness, victim survivors of family violence, First Peoples and people living in rural and regional Victoria.
Ten per cent of net new social housing homes under the Big Housing Build and ten per cent of other building programs are being targeted exclusively to house First Nations Victorians. We are delivering 1,023 dedicated Aboriginal housing dwellings, with a number of these homes already on the ground for First Peoples.
Under the Big Housing Build, 102 new homes have been completed and 162 new homes are underway in the City of Brimbank, with a total Big Housing Build investment of $132 million, creating 1,188 jobs in the local economy. In addition, 43 new homes have been completed and 33 new homes are underway as part of the other capital programs with a Victorian government investment of $30 million, creating 269 jobs in the local economy.
Six hundred homes across the City of Brimbank have either undergone maintenance or are in the process of having maintenance and upgrades undertaken, with an investment of $7.5 million. This is to ensure that existing social housing is comfortable and fit for purpose for residents.
The Allan Labor Government provides more than $300 million to specialist homelessness services each year to support homelessness entry points, case management, outreach support, targeted homelessness initiatives, support to sustain tenancies, and Housing First responses across the State.
In 2023-24, the Brimbank Melton Area, which includes Brimbank, received over $20 million for homelessness programs. This provides crisis accommodation, client and case management support, youth client support, a youth refuge and support for people to attain and to keep housing through the Private Rental Assistance Program, Aboriginal Private Rental Assistance Program, flexible brokerage funds, and the Tenancy Plus program.
The 2024-25 State Budget will invest an additional $197 million over four years to break the cycle of homelessness. This investment includes $16.1 million over four years in dedicated funding to address homelessness for First Peoples through self-determined approaches guided by the Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Framework. The Victorian Government looks forward to working with local governments and relevant stakeholders on the draft housing capacity targets to ensure more homes are delivered where Victorians need them.
I thank the Member for Western Metropolitan Region for his advocacy on behalf of community members and his recognition of the importance of social and affordable housing. I look forward to continuing to work with you and members of your community to maximise homelessness support services and social housing investment in Brimbank.
[ENDS]
