Ombudsman's investigation into public housing must be wake-up call to Government

2022-02-02

The Victorian Greens have said the Ombudsman’s upcoming investigation into public and community housing complaints is welcome and should be a long overdue wake-up call to the Victorian Government.

After decades of neglect by successive state governments, many of the state’s existing public housing units have effectively been left to rot.

Tower blocks have no recycling facilities, lifts break down regularly, bathrooms and kitchens are no longer fit for purpose and there is no sufficient cooling, leaving residents sweltering through increasingly hot summers.

To add insult to the injury, when residents do want to improve their living situation by accessing the complaints process set up by the DHHS, it is unclear and difficult to navigate.

The Greens have worked with public and community housing residents around Melbourne who are frustrated by the Government’s neglect and have been raising this issue in Parliament. 

Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam said public and community housing residents had been treated like second-class citizens for too long and that something needed to change.

She said the Ombudsman’s investigation was an important start and that hopefully it would lead to residents being given the rights and dignity they deserve.

Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC: 

“Public and community housing residents are treated like second-class citizens in Victoria and it’s unacceptable.

“For decades successive state governments have neglected our public housing units and left them to rot, while ignoring the concerns of countless residents.

“This investigation needs to be the writing on the wall for the current Victorian Government - public and community housing residents deserve the same rights and dignity as anyone else in this state.

“The Greens will continue to fight for more public housing, better conditions for public housing residents, and a fairer and more transparent system for complaints and issues.”