THE Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Region Wendy Lovell has called on the Andrews Labor Government to invest in social housing for Greater Shepparton.
With published waiting lists for social housing lagging by eight months, current data is yet to reflect the impact of flood-affected communities.
Nevertheless, available data conveys a growing and dire situation with applications mushrooming across the state.
Under the Andrews Labor Government, state-wide lists for new applications have grown by 59 percent reaching a significant 55,043 households by June 2022.
Of even greater concern has been the increase in applications with priority status which has risen by a staggering 208 percent in the past eight years. Priority status is given to some of Victoria’s most vulnerable people who are homeless, at risk of recurring homelessness, escaping family violence, living with disability or have a special housing need.
With convoluted reporting making it increasingly difficult to calculate the increased demand in Greater Shepparton for social housing, what is clear is that the need far exceeds what is currently available.
With 2,433 applicants listing Shepparton as a preferred location, available data shows that there are only 1,653 properties in the region to meet demand, and with the flood displaced set to inflate those numbers, the situation has become even more grim.
Calling on the Government to release updated statistics, Ms Lovell said, “The Andrews Labor Government is failing Shepparton’s most vulnerable families who are being forced to sleep rough while the government leaves them to languish over ever-growing waiting lists.
“The only way the social housing shortage in Greater Shepparton can be addressed is for the Government to invest in building a lot more properties in Greater Shepparton.”
