MILDURA’S priority waiting list for social housing has risen a “shameful” 221 per cent since 2014, according to Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell.
Ms Lovell told State Parliament last week Victorians seeking access to social housing had been “completely failed” by the government.
She called on the government to urgently commit funding to build more social housing throughout the north of the state.
“In Mildura the total number of applicants has increased by 46 per cent, rising by 197 applications to reach 621, and the priority waiting list has increased by a shameful 221 per cent, rising by 221 applications to reach 321,” Ms Lovell said.
“The Andrews Government’s shameful record on social housing has seen both the statewide social housing and priority housing waiting lists blow out in the past five years, and the minister needs to get on with the job of providing homes to the vulnerable Victorians who need them,” she said.
“The government likes to brag about its election commitment to acquire 1000 additional social housing properties across Victoria, but the reality is that in regional Victoria only Geelong and Ballarat will benefit from this policy.”
Ms Lovell said the statewide social housing waiting list had increased by a “disgraceful” 9534 families since September 2014, leaving 44,152 vulnerable Victorian families without access to social housing.
She said even more concerning was the 23,373 vulnerable families on the statewide priority housing waiting list.
