Last year the State Government announced half price solar panels for home owners and private renters.
Public housing tenants were left out of this announcement completely.
If you live in public housing, the only way you can get solar panels on your roof is if you get approval through your local Housing Office and pay for the whole thing yourself – something almost all tenants cannot afford to do.
These tenants from Chadstone, Ashwood and Ashburton think this is completely unfair.
Victorians living in public housing deserve solar power and cheaper energy bills just as much as everyone else.
As part of this year’s State Budget, we are calling on the Andrews Labor Government to install solar panels on all applicable public housing properties by 2025 (read our submission about it here).
During the 2017-18 period, we know that the Department of Health and Human Services funded a ‘Study of Solar Opportunities for Public Housing Assets’ project and that the findings of this will be delivered by May this year.
We want to see this project acted on and more done to address energy inequity between private and public tenants.
Installing solar panels on public housing roofs will improve tenants’ health and wellbeing, improve the liveability of properties, push fewer tenants into rent arrears due to lower energy bills, and benefit the environment long-term.
Do you live in public housing and want solar panels on your roof? Let us know by sending an email to enquiries@vpta.org.au.