Michael Ferguson,Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is providing an unprecedented investment into public housing and home affordability which is providing 58 new dwellings in the Circular Head area.
Twenty eight of those new dwellings will be for older people and are being built in partnership with St Vincent de Paul Society and Centacare Evolve Housing on vacant residential land in Smithton.
This will assist in providing housing to those Tasmanians on the Housing Register who have listed the Circular Head region as a residential option and who are 55 years or older.
It’s also important for the local economy. About $6.16 million will be invested in delivering the development. That’s almost $18 million in total economic benefit to the region.
Tasmania, along with the rest of the country, has experienced phenomenal growth in the housing market resulting in increased housing costs, low vacancy rates and reduced availability.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is taking decisive action and the results show that so far, the Affordable Housing Strategy has delivered a total of 1,839 additional new homes, land lots and new places in supported accommodation and homeless services, including 855, since July 2019.
There will always be more we can all do to reduce homelessness and provide housing support and the Tasmanian Liberal Government recognises the real struggles that many Tasmanians are experiencing.
Ultimately, increasing housing supply is the only way to combat rising house prices and to get more Tasmanians into suitable homes.
We are making a record investment of $615 million into social and affordable housing and homelessness initiatives, including our election commitment of $280 million to extend our building program of new social housing for Tasmanians in need is the biggest in this state for decades.
On top of our previous commitment to build 1,500 homes by 30 June 2023, we have increased our commitment to build an extra 2,000 new homes by 2027, which is now a total of 3,500 new homes by 2027 to help our most vulnerable, which includes our record investment to help about 5,000 Tasmanian households out of housing stress or homelessness.
I thank both the St Vincent de Paul Society and Centacare Evolve Housing for delivering these new homes and providing a boost for the region with the help of Tasmanian Government funding.
