THE public housing crisis is almost beyond repair, with a Federal Government failure to keep up with demand the main problem, the region’s chief housing officer says.
Loddon Mallee Housing Services chief executive officer Ken Marchingo said the state of public housing in Victoria was the worst it had ever been.
“If state housing authorities built another 50,000 units every year for the next 10 years . . . then in 2018 we would have the same amount of public housing stock as we had in 1996,’’ he said.
“In other words, in 10 years’ time from now, we’ll be where we were 22 years previously.’’
Mr Marchingo said the problem lay not with the State Government, but with its national equivalent.
“The scale and dimensions of the problem are beyond any one state government to fix,’’ he said.
“Since 1996 the Federal Government’s funding for public housing has not only failed to keep up, but has been actively dismantled.’’
Mr Marchingo’s comments come as shadow minister for Housing Wendy Lovell said it was important to remember there were real victims behind the latest statistics.
The public housing waiting list figures for the September quarter show a 12.6 per cent rise for the Loddon Mallee Region as more people apply for public housing and fewer are able to move out of the sector.
“Each statistic on the waiting list represents a household. With an estimated average of 2.1 persons per public housing household, this list represents at least 78,353 Victorians waiting for a roof over their head,’’ Ms Lovell said.
The minister said the blame lay at the feet of State Housing Minister Richard Wynne.
“(He) keeps blaming the Commonwealth Government for his failure to provide appropriate public housing for low-income Victorians, but as the Minister for Housing, public housing is his direct responsibility,’’ she said.
However, Mr Marchingo said the blame went higher.
“The state of public housing and its ability to meet the demands is and has been gutted over the last decade,’’ he said.
“It has been primarily gutted by the inattention of the Federal Government.’’
Mr Wynne said it was a difficult situation, with the tightest private rental market in two decades combining with record rent levels across the state to put additional demands on the state’s public housing system.
“The Brumby Government recognises the need for more social housing and is taking action to boost the amount of affordable housing available to low-income Victorians through a range of initiatives.’’
Mr Wynne said these initiatives included the release of 90,000 land blocks by rezoning farm land in growth areas across Melbourne, and helping the Federal Government to implement its National Rental Affordability Scheme, which will put in an extra 50,000 affordable homes on the market at 20 per cent below market rates.