$1.5 billion over 10 years for more housing “a leap in the right direction.”

The State President of the St Vincent de Paul Society, Mr Mark Gaetani, has commended the Tasmanian Government for its commitment to spend over $1.5 billion to provide more housing than ever before across Tasmania.

Speaking about the announcement, Mr Gaetani said that the commitment of $1.5 billion over the next decade is in line with the call from the Society’s National Council, of which he is a member, to the Australian Government to spend $10 billion on social housing.

“We understand that the package announced by the Premier and the Minister for Housing, the Hon. Michael Ferguson, applies to the overall housing sector. However, any substantial increase in housing stock must relieve pressure on the number of people looking to buy or rent a home in Tasmania. It is more than a step, it is a leap in the right direction,” Mr Gaetani said.

“It is the Society’s understanding that the Tasmanian Government will extend the private Rental Incentive Scheme from its current limit of 200 homes to 400 homes, creating another 200 affordable rental properties for the next two years. They are also assessing the viability of build to rent schemes and looking to providing safeguards for rent-to-buy schemes to encourage the uptake of these properties.

“All of these initiatives make it easier for individuals and families – especially those on low incomes – to purchase a home or to find secure rentals, so they can move forward with their lives.

“As a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council, late last year, we urged the Australian Government to inject $10 billion into a social housing fund to address the shortfall of over 400,000 dwellings across Australia. This is the minimum requirement to ease the chronic shortage of safe, affordable housing.

“Clearly, the Tasmanian Government recognises this need and has made a significant commitment to addressing the chronic shortage of housing across the State. It will be a huge relief to many people who approach the Society, because they are concerned about keeping a roof over their head, that the government recognises that the only way to address rising house and rental prices is to increase supply. The commitment to build on the government’s existing $615 million program to deliver 3,500 new dwellings and homes by 2026-27 is encouraging and welcome.

“A better life starts with a safe place to call home. In a research paper, prepared by Vivienne Skinner and Philippa Carnemolla in May 2021, titled ‘Outcomes Associated with Providing Secure, Stable, and Permanent Housing for People Who Have Been Homeless: An International Scoping Review’ they found that secure housing is a circuit-breaker for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness, including:

“Health: Every study analysed in the paper saw a drop in health services once an individual was permanently housed. Physical and mental health saw improvements.

“Criminality: Studies reported that once permanently housed, less time was spent in jail with less encounters with police and arrests. Housing also provides safety from criminal behaviour, particularly for women and children leaving dangerous environments. In the 2016 Census one of the fastest growing groups of homelessness was women over the age of 55, this is often due to domestic and family violence.

“Quality of life: Housing is an early step in rebuilding identity and restoring a sense of ‘personhood. A Canadian two-year study of Housing First participants found that once settled in housing participants’ lives changed from being ‘survival-oriented’ to ‘peaceful’.

“Reduction in social services: Studies also revealed that permanent housing created value for communities and taxpayers through a reduction in the use of services such as the justice system, hospitals and health, and services for mental health and addiction. The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute found the cost saved to services for a single man in housing would be over $1 million over a lifetime.

“Other areas that saw improvement include education and employment, community participation, a reduction in substance use, and food-related outcomes,” Mr Gaetani said.

_{MEDIA NOTES: The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris, France in 1833 by a 20-year old Italian student, Frederic Ozanam. Today, the Society operates in 153 countries and has over 800,000 members. Australia has over 60,000 members, dedicated to assisting people in need and combating social injustice. The Society started in Tasmania in 1899 when founders established a Conference in Launceston. From humble beginnings, the Society has grown to 25 Conferences within three Regional Councils across Tasmania. Each Conference undertake a variety of good works, the most recognised being the traditional Vincentian home visits and the annual CEO Sleep-out to draw attention to homelessness.}

_{Media contact, Mark Wells: +61 414 015 966 (24-hours)
© St Vincent de Paul Society and MWPA.}