Hobart needs to be at the front of the Housing Australia Future Fund
Published on 14 September 2023
The City of Hobart welcomes the passing of the Housing Australia Future Fund through Federal Parliament.
Acting Hobart Lord Mayor Helen Burnet said she hoped the Tasmanian capital would be at the forefront for consideration when the $10 billion fund – Australia’s biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade – is rolled out.
The Australian Government has committed to 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund’s first five years, with an additional $1 billion invested in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support new homes.
“This has the potential to be make a real difference to Hobart’s housing crisis and I welcome the commitment by the federal government to tackle this issue,” Cr Burnet said.
“The Hobart City Council is committed to addressing housing access and affordability in Hobart through practical partnerships that help realise the goals of state and national housing policies at a local level, with a focus on increasing the supply of appropriate housing within the City.
“For example, the City of Hobart has recently assisted developers for an application for the construction of 22 social housing dwellings in New Town and we are continuing to work towards limiting the number of whole dwellings being lost to the rental market to short stay accommodation.
“Earlier this week, a report from the Real Estate Institute of Australia showed Hobart had the greatest number of short stay accommodation listings in Tasmania.
“It is nearly twice as many listings as any other council area and has grown by 25 per cent in the past year.”
Hobart Housing and Homelessness Portfolio Chair Mike Dutta said the fund was a huge step in the right direction.
“But the facts show we also need immediate action,” Cr Dutta said.
“The 2021 census figures showed homelessness in Tasmania jumped by 45 per cent from the 2016 census – these are catastrophic figures.
“We urge the federal government to put Hobart at the top of its list and make it a top priority for those in urgent need of assistance.”