Tasmanians trapped in housing crisis insulted by government’s constant spin

Tasmanian Labor

The Gutwein Government is more interested in trying to spin the true extent of its housing failures than provide solutions for thousands of Tasmanian families trapped in accommodation crisis.

Shadow Housing Minister Ella Haddad said the Report on Government Services released today showed that despite its claims to be building homes, the Liberal Government continues to oversee a housing crisis.

Ms Haddad said for the government to claim today that Tasmania “continues to perform well on housing and homelessness assistance” was an insult to each of the 4,400 families on the housing wait list and shows just how out of touch Ministers Michael Ferguson and Elise Archer are.

“The reality felt by thousands of Tasmanians paints a very different picture,” Ms Haddad said.

“There are already more than 4,400 families on the housing waiting list, with an average wait time of over a year to be housed.

“Ms Archer and Mr Ferguson claim social housing is keeping pace with population growth, but they know that even on their own projections the wait list is set to blow out to over 5,000 imminently.

“Michael Ferguson has boasted he is delivering “a house a day” but even if that were the case, what that actually means is he will fall short of even meeting his own targets of 3,500 homes by 2027.

“Meanwhile Tasmanians are sleeping rough, emergency shelters are turning away people in droves because they are full and there is insufficient transitional housing available to transition people from emergency shelters into secure housing.

“The government says the ROGS data shows people who need housing are being housed but they know that is just not true.

“There are thousands of Tasmanians missing out every day under this government and things are only getting worse on their watch.”

Ella Haddad MP

Shadow Housing Minister

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