The Allan Labor Government continues to fail its own housing build targets according to the recently released Department of Families Fairness and Housing (DFFH) 2023-24 Annual Report.
The report also confirms a department deficit of $428.6 million for 2023-24, up from $222.4 million in 2022-23, largely driven by failings within Homes Victoria.
This comes as the Allan Labor Government continues to fail to reach its housing build targets, with the 2024-25 State Budget home build targets revised down, while a promise to increase housing stock by 10 per cent by June 2024 has actually been just 3.1 per cent.
The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, said regional communities like hers had failed to see any significant improvement when it came to housing, particularly when it comes to social and public housing.
“Despite rapidly increasing demand and millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted, Labor has failed to effectively improve the number of houses available for those who need it most,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We have housing developments like the Benalla West project facing massive cost blowouts and delays, towns within the Strathbogie Shire not even included in the Big Build, and a lack of improvements to housing stock in the Mitchell Shire.
“These are areas pinpointed for massive growth, but Labor is already falling at the first hurdle when it comes to reaching their lofty housing targets.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage housing and Victorians are paying the price.”
In the six months to December 2023, both social and public housing stock across the state declined by 54 and 446 homes respectively, while the number of available bedrooms has reduced by 2733 since Labor announced its Big Housing Build in 2020.
Since 2018, the Mitchell Shire has added just 30 new social housing properties, the Benalla district added 32, while the Strathbogie Shire has gone backwards and has three less social housing properties.
The failure to increase housing in the region is not due to a lack of demand. Local not-for-profit organisation, Beyond Housing, has supported more than 3000 people experiencing homelessness or housing difficulty across the Ovens Murray and Goulburn regions in the last year alone.
