Long waits for housing

A lack of available public housing and long waiting lists are presenting a major challenge in Gippsland.

Upper House Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath said waiting lists were growing as many public housing tenants were being relocated from the metropolitan area to regional and rural centres.

The office of Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood said inquiries about public housing was among the top three issues raised with it.

In calling for the State Government to address the problem Ms Bath said that across Gippsland there were 2154 applications on the Victorian Housing Register in March.

State-wide the applications represented more than 82,000 people of which 24,600 were children.

The numbers on the waiting list were also on the rise with 1500 added in the first three months of this year.

Ms Bath said it could take anywhere from three months to several years for eligible people, many that were vulnerable, to gain public accommodation.

In Gippsland 1000 of the 2154 applications are listed on the register as “priority access”.

The Inner Gippsland area that takes in the Latrobe Valley and areas to the west, including Baw Baw shire, accounted for 430 of the priority access applications and another 830 had registered for housing.

The Outer Gippsland area – Sale and Bairnsdale regions – had a total of 1170 applications of which about 45 per cent – 519 – were regarded as priority.

Ms Bath said it was also a concern public housing tenants were relocated to regional and rural areas without adequate support.

“Many of those required support services for mental health, drug rehabilitation and domestic violence”.

Funding for long-term programs that provide real solution are essential, Ms Bath said.

Public housing is owned and managed by the Director of Housing and is provided for disadvantaged people including those that are unemployed, on low incomes, aged over 55 or with a disability, mental illness or at risk of homelessness.

The shortcomings in the availability of housing were highlighted in a parliamentary committee report into the Victorian Government’s public housing renewal program.

The impact of the shortage of accommodation on single people was a major concern.

Single people often have to seek accommodation in rooming houses where personal security and privacy can be at risk.

Mr Blackwood’s office said rising costs of private rentals in Warragul and Drouin, especially, were exacerbating the problem for many people although some may qualify for government assistance with bond payments and rents.