Posted:
Dear Members,
On Tuesday the Victorian Government handed down its first budget.
As the budget had no new initiatives for the community housing sector, CHFV has written to the Minister directly to outline some very pressing matters that the Government will need to address. The community housing sector has the ability to lead growth in this area.
The proposal for asset transfer of some public housing stock to the community sector was not in the forward estimates as we had anticipated. The budget line item states that this specific initiative has been 'deferred'.
The issue of asset transfers is on the Government's radar and they have assured CHFV they want to "get it right" and felt there were many issues that needed to be looked at arising from the Victorian Auditor General's Office 2010 report, Access to Social Housing.
CHFV CEO Jacqui Watt, met with Wendy Lovell, Minister for Housing shortly after the budget lock up to discuss this decision, as well as housing issues more generally.
On a number of occasions the Minister and her senior advisors have used the term 'pathway not destination' with regard to their view of Public Housing. The new Government is keen to develop a different approach to the former Government. CHFV will be engaging with the Government so that our voices are heard, and the concerns and aspirations of our sector are part of the discourse in this area.
In addition to the asset transfer issue CHFV has called for a whole-of-government-approach to the housing affordability crisis, and further clarity on the future of the Housing Provider Framework.
Please see attached the letter to the Minister, and initial media response to the Government's budget.
CHFV will follow up all these issues and more with the State Government into the future.
For further information please feel free to contact myself, or our CEO Jacqui Watt.
Kind regards,
Steve Staikos
Policy and Public Affairs Officer