NEW figures released by the Victorian Housing Register (VHR) showed 67,120 Victorians were on the public housing waitlist as of December 2022, an increase of 3376 people over the previous 12 months.
In South Gippsland and Bass Coast there are 1192 people on the waitlist, many of these are high priority and there are less than 585 properties to fulfil this essential demand.
“The provision of public and social housing has become a crisis in recent years with more and more people contacting my office seeking help, both with finding housing and with the state of public housing stock,” Danny O’Brien, Nationals Member for Gippsland South said.
Across Korumburra and Leongatha there are 212 people on the wait list with only 56 properties available.
Wonthaggi has 617 people waiting and only 267 properties available.
Cowes is no better off with 254 on the waitlist and only 41 properties available.
Furthermore, average waiting times for those on the list have blown out, with the urgent public housing category now nearly two years.
“So many people in South Gippsland are struggling to put a roof over their head and the safety net of public housing is failing many. The Labor Government needs to get past issuing media releases and do much more to reduce public housing waiting lists in South Gippsland,” said Mr O’Brien.
“Since 2015 there’s been a net loss of 4 public housing dwellings in South Gippsland Shire and 15 in Bass Coast, despite the government claiming to have spent billions on new homes.”
Figures show that the number of public housing properties has increased by 74 since 2018.
Jessica Harrison from Housing Matters Bass Coast, also weighed in.
"As successive Labor and Liberal governments have left public housing chronically underfunded, our group advocates the tripling of public housing provision. Studies prove that secure housing increases well-being and good health, reducing pressure on the health system.”
As part of the State Government’s Big Housing Build, $25M was allocated for Bass Coast for social housing, with six projects currently underway.
