THE Liberal Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell, has criticised the Andrews Labor Government for its failure to provide housing for the most vulnerable families in Shepparton, Moira, and Strathbogie shires.
The recently released data from the 2023-24 State Budget confirmed that residents with priority status for housing are experiencing longer waiting times than ever before. Priority status is given to families who are in immediate need of housing, such as those escaping domestic violence, facing homelessness, living with a disability, or requiring special housing needs.
According to the budget, in June 2022, families escaping domestic violence had to wait 16.1 months to be housed, an increase of five months compared to June 2021 when the wait was 11.1 months.
Similarly, families who were homeless, living with a disability, or had special housing needs experienced an extended wait of 13.9 months in June 2022, compared to 12.4 months in June 2021.
Not only are waiting times increasing, but the number of families on the waiting list is also growing. The March quarter Social Housing Waiting List, released in early June, revealed a total of 67,985 families waiting to be housed, with an additional 865 families joining the list statewide. The state-wide Priority List now includes 37,079 families, with an increase of 620 families in the March quarter alone.
In Greater Shepparton, the total families waiting for housing rose to 2,665, including 1,477 families with priority status. In Moira Shire, the total rose to 934 families, with 571 having priority status, and in Strathbogie Shire, it increased to 93 families, with 52 having priority status.
Wendy Lovell condemned the Andrews Labor Government for leaving vulnerable residents waiting indefinitely on the growing housing waiting list. She highlighted that while the government boasts about its housing build initiative, the Minister admitted during the Budget Estimates hearings that it would only add around 8,000 additional social housing homes. With almost 60,000 families still waiting, Ms Lovell is concerned not enough is being done to address the housing crisis.
