Guy Barnett,Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing
All Tasmanians deserve a roof over their head and that’s why the Tasmanian Government is delivering the most ambitious and comprehensive social and affordable housing program in the State’s history.
Through the 2022-23 Tasmanian Budget and over the forward estimates, the Government will invest up to a record $538 million into social and affordable housing and homelessness initiatives, with $204 million this year alone.
We will build 1,169 homes this year, meeting our target of 1,500 by June 2023 and rising to a total of 10,000 new homes by 2032 as part of our 10-year $1.5 billion housing package.
The cornerstone of our plan is Tasmania’s new Housing Authority, which will be tasked with building and acquiring these homes, as well as partnering with the not-for-profit sector and legislation is currently being prepared to ensure that Authority is up and running by October this year.
This Budget will also fund a package of initiatives designed to make home ownership more accessible and affordable, including the First ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Owners Grant, unlocking more residential land, lifting land tax thresholds, the new Housing Market Re-entry program and stamp duty concessions.
We know that many Tasmanians are doing it tough right now and we have more work to do, and that’s why we are investing more than $36 million per year in specialist homelessness services including shelters, which are often the first step towards stable accommodation for many Tasmanians on the pathway to living independently, with improved health and wellbeing.
The 2022-23 Budget includes $6.85 million to continue to provide Safe Spaces – $3.06 million for Hobart, $1.9 million for Launceston and $1.9 million for Burnie. Safe Spaces is an innovative and integrated response for people sleeping rough, which is uniquely Tasmanian, making a real difference every day to addressing homelessness.
Safe Space services have core functions of a daytime drop-in service, a night-time sleep over service and an assertive outreach service for those not ready or able to attend the Safe Space sites. This Budget will also provide $3.2 million over two years for Youth to Independence homes.
In the South the Budget will provide $277,000 for the Hobart Women’s Shelter emergency response and $172,000 in 2022-23 for the continued operation of 18 units of crisis accommodation managed by Bethlehem House.
$16 million will be provided for supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the north and the north west.
This is on top of the builds that are already underway in the North including; the $4 million expansion to Magnolia Place to support homeless women and children, the $2.2 million Launceston Youth at Risk Centre and the $4.5 million expansion to Thyne House.
In addition in the North West, there will be $2.5 million to support the operations of the Devonport Men’s Shelter – a new 8 unit facility for men, including a unit to accommodate men with children.
This is on top of the $9.5 million Burnie Youth2Independence facility with 25 studio apartments from young people aged 16-24 that starts construction in the next few months.
