SHELTER

for tackling the growing homelessness issue, should “look under its own nose” and consider vacant space inside council-owned properties.

“We are hearing about whole floors inside the Hobart City Council building on Davey St that are going unused,” he said.

“It raises questions about what other unused spaces there are around Hobart that are state and local government-owned.”

Mr Wilkie said, while a longer-term solution was needed, temporary living arrangements at vacant city properties “just makes sense”.

“This is a council and State Government issue to fix. Our charities don’t have any responsibility to fix this, both tiers of government must act.

“I call on an audit of all state and local government property holdings to find out what is available and what is suitable.

“It may find some places aren’t suitable, but it may find that some are. In the shortterm, we don’t need to be spending big money bringing interstate resources down.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch, who Mr Wilkie yesterday labelled “just as useless as Health Minister Michael Ferguson”, said the only way to