Housing waiting times up by 50%

PRIORITY public housing applicants are now waiting almost 50 per cent longer for a home than they were a year ago, new figures show.

Updated December quarter statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services reveal the median wait time for priority housing applicants has risen to 63 weeks — 20 weeks longer than the median wait time for the March quarter last year.

The figures were released on the department’s website after close of business for the Easter long weekend.

Applications to the housing register have also increased to 3512 people in December, up 245 applicants from September.

Fewe r people from the waiting list were housed in November and December than at any other time during 2017 — 59 people were housed in November, and 58 in December.

Labor housing spokesman Josh Willie said the State Government sat on the statistics through the election, and had chosen to release them on the eve of Easter “hoping no one will notice.”

“What it shows is this Gov- ernment is trying to spin the figures, it’s not serious about addressing the crisis,” he said.

“We’ve seen a lack of leadership over the last four years, there are people in desperate need and this Government is not delivering.

“This Government removed 1000 people from the waiting list last year, and there are potentially Tasmanians unaware that they have been removed from the housing register.”

Last year the department slashed the housing waiting list by 20 per cent, removing hundreds of applicants after a review of their circumstances.

Following this month’s summit on housing the Government committed to a Housing Tasmania “stock match”.

According to the communique released after the summit there are an estimated 95 four-bedroom Housing Tasmania properties occupied by only one to three residents while families of four are on waiting lists.

The stock match would be voluntary and include incentives to better match tenants and properties.

A state government spokesman said it was delivering new and immediate actions to boost supply in areas around the state in response to Tasmania’s housing challenges.

“The Government will continue to work with key stakeholders to improve the housing situation in Tasmania,” the spokesman said.