The latest figures on Tasmania’s housing waiting lists reinforce the need for decisive action to make real headway with the state’s housing crisis.
Shadow Housing Minister Alison Standen said the number of Tasmanians waiting for housing remains unacceptably high and the waiting times too long.
“Tasmania’s latest shows an increase in the housing waiting list in the three months to the end of March – up by 100 to 3,578,” Ms Standen said.
“Most of this period was before the effects of COVID-19 were felt and, as we head into winter, we expect the situation is now much worse.
“While Labor welcomes a slight drop in the waiting time for priority applicants to 59 weeks, it is still unacceptable for people in the most desperate of circumstances to have to wait more than a year for adequate housing.
The Housing Minister has been given a blueprint to address the housing crisis, in the form of the 61 recommendations in of the .
“Roger Jaensch must revise the and , in light of those recommendations, the Commonwealth debt waiver and the current pandemic.
“As we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, we need to prioritise housing security for Tasmanians to help get people back into jobs.
“I urge the Minister to look to Labor’s COVID-19 Recovery Package, which is designed to get Tasmanians back into jobs, help those hardest hit by the pandemic and create a better, fairer and more resilient economy and society.
“Tasmania’s housing crisis has not gone away and it requires urgent action to fix it.
Alison Standen MP
Shadow Housing Minister
