FIGURES released in late March reveal that social housing property numbers in Victoria declined by 2,970 dwellings between June 2021 and June 2022. On 30 June 2021, there were 85,969 social housing properties in Victoria, but the new data has revealed that number reduced to 82,999 by 30 June 2022.
The Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell says recent data showing the declining number of social housing dwellings in Victoria and Greater Shepparton was proof of the Labor Government’s failure to address the State’s housing crisis.
“The reduction in the number of dwellings can’t be blamed on last October’s floods as the data pre-dates the flood event. This reduction in social housing properties show that Daniel Andrews and Labor has failed the most vulnerable members of the community by disposing of properties that could have housed women and children escaping family violence or homeless Victorians,” said Ms Lovell.
“With Victoria’s social housing waiting list blowing out since the election of Daniel Andrews, there is an urgent need for more social housing properties not less.”
Greater Shepparton suffered a loss of over 60 dwellings during the year declining from 1653 dwellings in June 2021 to a maximum of 1592 dwellings in June 2022.
Ms Lovell said the Minister must also explain why the 82,999 figure was 4516 dwellings less than the Government’s own projections, detailed in last years State Budget. The budget published on the 3rd May 2022 projected a total of 87,515 dwellings at the 30th June 2022.
Nine months later the Government has confessed that figure to be only 82,999.
Ms Lovell emphasised that the reduction in social housing had occurred throughout her electorate of Northern Victoria Region and had impacted many of the larger regional centres, where more social housing was needed the most and waiting lists were the longest.
