FEDS SET TO HELP

HOUSING MINISTER VOWS TO FIX HOMELESS CRISIS

THE federal Minister for Housing has promised to come to Tasmania this week ready to do whatever he can to help fix the state’s homeless crisis.

Michael Sukkar, right, told the Mercury he wanted to work co-operatively with his state counterpart Roger Jaensch to “support the efforts to alleviate housing and homelessness issues”.

Mr Jaensch will push for the state’s historic public housing debt to be wiped so the cash can be spent helping rather than on servicing interest payments.

FEDERAL Housing Minister Michael Sukkar says he wants to help solve the state’s housing and homelessness crisis when he visits Tasmania this week.

Mr Sukkar yesterday confirmed he will arrive in Hobart ahead of a tri-partisan homelessness and crisis accommodation forum on Thursday, where stakeholders including Hobart housing organisations are expected to lobby hard for the state’s historic housing debt to be waived.

“We will be discussing a range of ways in which the Federal Government can assist and work co-operatively to support the efforts to alleviate housing and homelessness issues,” Mr Sukkar said.

“I’m particularly keen to speak with stakeholders about the housing issues specific to Hobart and Tasmania more broadly, and will be meeting separately with Tasmanian Housing Minister Roger Jaensch.”

Mr Sukkar’s visit comes after Mr Jaensch last week lobbied his federal counterpart to wipe the state’s housing debt to the Commonwealth that every year rips $15 million from Tasmania’s housing budget.

Community sector organisations, including Shelter Tasmania and TasCOSS, have long argued alongside successive state ministers that the debt should be waived so money could be spent on public and community housing.

It is estimated that the $157 million owed to the Commonwealth would take until 2042 for the state to pay off at its current rate.

TasCOSS chief executive Kym Goodes said Hobart’s homelessness crisis was not something the State Government could fix alone.

“The Federal Government can make a dramatic and positive difference to Tasmania – not just this winter, but for decades to come,” she said.

The housing debt to the Commonwealth eats up about half of the state’s allocated housing grant from the Federal Government every year.

“Ongoing servicing of this debt has left Tasmania’s housing supply underfunded for decades and is a key contributor to the current lack of social and affordable housing in the state,” Ms Goodes said.

Shelter Tasmania chief executive Pattie Chugg said Mr Sukkar’s Hobart visit was the state’s best chance to negotiate relief from its historic debt.

“It makes good economic sense to meet the housing needs of all Tasmanians. Without a home, how can you feel safe, hold down a job, raise a family, or participate in community life?” she said.

Ms Chugg said Tasmania should be afforded the same federal relief as other states, such as South Australia, where state governments have succeeded in removing the debt from their housing budgets altogether.

“We’re aware of other states where debt has been moved from the housing portfolio and traded into other budget areas. This enables more housing to be built and more services to be provided for people in need,” Ms Chugg said.

Labor’s housing spokeswoman Alison Standen said she was glad to see Mr Jaensch had “finally started to wake up” to address Tasmania’s homelessness crisis.