The Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA) today thanked the Victorian Government for listening to their call for more public housing and committing $209 million to build 1,000 new homes for people experiencing homelessness and families fleeing domestic violence if re-elected.
Mark Feenane, Executive Officer of the VPTA, said he was happy to see this much-needed commitment from the State Government.
“This will save lives and give a stable, secure home to Victorians who need it most.”
“We’ve wanted to see a big build – separate to the renewal program – for a long time. Many told us it was no longer a priority for any government. We’re glad to see it still is.”
“This announcement is important for all Victorians, not just those experiencing hardship.”
Mr Feenane thanked the hundreds of community members, over 20 organisations, and 15 politicians and candidates who have helped push for a commitment on public housing ahead of the State Election.
Politicians and candidates who have helped the VPTA publicly shine a light on the need for more public housing include:
| Martin Foley MP
(Albert Park) |
Harriet Shing MP
(Eastern Victoria) |
Tracie Lund
(Morwell) |
| Danny Pearson MP
(Essendon) |
Russell Northe MP
(Morwell) |
Kat Theophanous
(Northcote) |
| Anthony Carbines MP
(Ivanhoe) |
Ellen Sandell MP
(Melbourne) |
Cindy O’Connor
(Brunswick) |
| Christine Couzens MP
(Geelong) |
Fiona Patten MP
(Northern Metro) |
Tim Read
(Brunswick) |
| Josh Bull MP
(Sunbury) |
Mark Richards
(Morwell) |
Kathleen Maltzahn
(Richmond) |
Mr Feenane stressed that Victoria still has the lowest proportion of public housing in all of Australia, with over 82,000 people currently on the waiting list.
“We’ve got a really long way to go to fix our state’s housing crisis, but today’s announcement is a great step in the right direction. We hope to see more announcements like it in the near future.”
The VPTA calls on the Opposition to reveal their public housing commitments, as a bipartisan effort is desperately needed to address the waiting list after decades of under-investment in new state-owned housing.