The number one solution to homelessness is having a home.

Yet here in Victoria, more than 100,000 people are waiting for a public housing home. This includes families and vulnerable members of our community, many of whom have been waiting for more than 10 years for a safe place to live.

In a wealthy state like Victoria, everybody should have a safe place to call home. But Victoria has the lowest number of public housing homes per capita in the entire country.

Our public housing has been neglected for decades, our housing department is chronically underfunded, and vital public housing has been sold off to private property developers.

‘A big build of 100,000 new public housing homes over the next 15 years will create 10,000 jobs while also ensuring everyone has a safe place to call home.’

I’ve advocated for public housing residents since I was first elected in 2014. Now, after COVID-19, it’s even more urgent. I’m calling for:

• A big build of 100,000 new public housing homes over the next 15 years to create 10,000 jobs while also ensuring everyone has a safe place to call home
• An overhaul of the housing office in the Department of Health and Human Services to put residents needs first and ensure our communities are property looked after
• A maintenance blitz to upgrade all existing public housing so they’re safe

If you, or someone you know, needs any help accessing public housing, or with public housing maintenance or transfer issues, please contact my office.