Having a safe and secure place to call home is an essential part of life. Every single Victorian should have quality healthcare, education, food on the table and a roof over our heads.
But decades of neglect by both Labor and Liberal governments has led to a blow out in the public housing waiting list, and a homelessness crisis across the state. Life throws us all curve balls, and for some people becoming unemployed, ill-health, or the end of a relationship can leave you homeless and struggling to get back on your feet.
There are now 100,000 Victorians waiting for public housing, with some people waiting more than ten years. Around 25,000 Victorians are homeless - sleeping in their cars, on the street, couchsurfing with friends, or staying in unsafe or temporary accommodation.
But we have a chance to turn things around.
As part of our Green New Deal, the Victorian Greens have a bold plan for public housing:
- A big build of 100,000 new public housing homes
- 10,000 quality new jobs, plus 1000 apprenticeships
- Solving Victoria’s homelessness crisis
- Slashing wait times for public housing
Our plan is backed up by the experts. Economists around the country are saying the best way to create jobs and address inequality is to build public housing.
In addition to this, in October 2020 the Victorian Greens announced we would introduce a bill into parliament to make it the law for the state government to build more public housing. The proposed laws would set targets for the minimum amount of public housing the government needs to build each year, and to stop public housing land being sold to private property developers.
The Greens bill comes off the back of news that the Labor State Government has only built 10% of the small number of public housing homes it promised to build. We want to increase accountability on the government to provide homes for all, and ensure that housing is a top priority for every government into the future.
We have a chance to create a kinder, fairer system that looks after everyone in our community, especially in times of need. And now more than ever, we need to seize this opportunity to turn things around.