Tasmania’s deepening
homelessness crisis is a direct result of the Liberal Government’s heartless
and deliberate decision to place the state’s most vulnerable in a too-hard
basket.
Labor Leader Rebecca White
said after seven years of neglect, the Gutwein Government had no priority to
address Tasmania’s growing homelessness crisis and only a Majority Labor
Government would provide solutions with a $52.2 million package to build
additional emergency accommodation and employ additional case workers to assist
the state’s most vulnerable.
Ms White said Labor would
commit $12.6 million over four years for case workers across a range of areas
to help secure housing for homeless Tasmanians and those at risk of
homelessness and $39.6 million over four years to build and fund additional
supported and emergency accommodation.
“Every night in Tasmania
more than 1,600 people are homeless and that’s a sad and shocking situation,” Ms
White said.
“What’s also shocking is
that Peter Gutwein and members of his government have been prepared to walk
past the homeless, those Tasmanians at risk of homelessness and some of our
most vulnerable and turn the other way.
“There has been no priority
by this Liberal Government to address this critical issue and provide shelter
to Tasmanians who are sleeping in their cars or tents or relying on the
kindness of friends or family for a roof over their heads.
“Too many people are falling
between the cracks of a broken service system rather than getting the support
they need to get into secure housing and maintain their tenancy.
“We will employ additional
case workers to assist people within and leaving crisis or temporary
accommodation, people at risk of homelessness when they are discharged from the
health system, people exiting the justice system and Aboriginal people at risk of
homelessness.
“It’s time to be realistic
about the spiralling homelessness situation in our state and provide Tasmanians
with the services they need to find shelter.”
Ms White said a Majority
Labor Government will invest $39.6 million to build and fund supported and
emergency accommodation services including:
- $6 million for disability accommodation
- $6 million for children and young people exiting from out of home care in the north and north west
- $9 million to reduce the risk of young people becoming homeless
- $7.6 million to build and operated a men’s shelter in the north west
- $6 million to expand Rapid re-housing and
- $5 million for transition independent living units for drug and alcohol and mental ill health patients
“This package will support
647 vulnerable Tasmanians experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
“Crisis and supported accommodation facilities will be built state-wide in consultation with specialist homelessness services in areas with the greatest demand.”
Shadow Housing Minister
Alison Standen said the number of Tasmanians experiencing homelessness had
steadily increased over the past seven years of the Liberal Government and data
from Shelter Tasmania shows the vast majority were aged under 44.
“Younger Tasmanians aged
between 12 and 24 make up a quarter of all people experiencing homelessness
followed by Tasmanians aged between 25 and 34,” Ms Standen said.
“The majority of those 1,600
Tasmanians experiencing homelessness every night are couch surfing or staying
in severely overcrowded houses, boarding houses or simply sleeping rough in
tents and parks.
“This is information that has been readily available to Peter Gutwein and his government but over seven years but there has been absolutely no priority given to finding a solution and, in fact, there has been an appalling attitude to simply turn the other way.
“The situation has to change and only Labor has a plan to address this crucial issue.”
Rebecca White MP
Labor Leader
Alison Standen MP
Shadow Minister for Housing
