By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
FEWER people are languishing on Victoria’s public housing waiting list than last year, according to statistics released today by the state government.
The public housing statistics for the March 2014 quarter indicate that 35,027 people in Victoria are currently on the public housing waitlist, compared to the 35,778 people who were on the state’s waitlist as of 30 June 2013.
Today’s statistics have been released after the News reported several stories this month highlighting public housing issues in the Casey municipality.
Of the 35,027 people currently on the state’s public housing waitlist, 3917 of them applied for dwellings through the Dandenong housing office.
State Housing Minister Wendy Lovell today said the state’s public housing waiting list had fallen for 10 of the 14 quarters since the Coalition government was elected in November 2010.
“The main reason for the overall drop in public housing waiting lists is better management and a sheer dedication to improving the system,” she said.
“There is still work to be done to get the waiting list down, but by reviewing vacancy rates, turnover procedures and by working harder with those who have been waiting the longest, we are seeing results.
“We are also making people more aware of the options that are available to them with regard to community housing, bond loans for the private rental market, and other forms of assistance.”
According to the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services released in January, the Victorian public housing waiting list reached 41,050 in June 2010 under the previous state Labor government, but had fallen to 35,778 as of June 2013.
But the report also indicated that spending on social housing in Victoria had fallen by almost half, or $247 million, last financial year, with the current government spending $256.8 million on capital expenditure for social housing in 2012-2013, compared with $503.8 million in 2011-12.
