Roger Jaensch,Minister for Housing
The Tasmanian Government is continuing to increase the availability of supported accommodation in Tasmania by supporting the purchase of the Balmoral Motor Inn in Goodwood.
The Government is contributing $2.1 million towards the purchase, in partnership with Hobart City Mission, enabling the Motor Inn to be used as a medium and long term Supported Accommodation Facility.
The facility will include 32 high quality units, a commercial kitchen, and laundry and a large dining room to support Tasmanians in need and will add to other similar facilities around the state, such as the refurbishment of the Waratah Hotel into a 24 bed Supported Accommodation Facility.
The purchase has been made possible thanks to the historic agreement to waive the state’s Commonwealth Housing Debt – something we fought for and achieved, and Labor failed to do after 16 years in government.
Importantly, the high-quality facility needs little work and will be ready to take residents within weeks.
It adds to other measures including our $5 million winter package that has delivered:
- 18 temporary accommodation units for homeless men at Bethlehem House;
- 10 two-bedroom accommodation pods at the Hobart Women’s Shelter; and
- 7 additional family sized units to be managed by the Hobart Women’s Shelter.
Also, our $4.3 million COVID homelessness response that continues to provide additional support through expanded 24-hour Safe Spaces in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, as well as uncapped emergency accommodation and wrap-around support services state-wide.
We are also working hard to deliver a range of new social houses and projects under our Affordable Housing Strategy and the Government recently advertised an EOI to deliver up to 1000 new social housing dwellings over the next three years under our Community Housing Growth Program.
The program forms part of our construction blitz, underpinning $3.1 billion of construction and investment, and will go a long way to providing secure, long-term accommodation for Tasmanians waiting for housing.
We will continue to do all we can to help Tasmanians in need into safe and secure housing that meets their needs, right across the State.
