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    Member for Lowan Emma Kealy.

Slow start to Horsham social housing project

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has criticised the State Government for failing to identify a site, ‘let alone draw up plans and lodge planning permits’ for a new 31-home social housing project in Horsham.

Ms Kealy said the project had become ‘an absolute fiasco’, after the government announced the project as ‘shovel ready’ and to start by the end of the year.

“However, months later no land has been acquired, no planning permits issued, no drawings produced and no contract in existence,” she said.

Ms Kealy said social housing waiting list data for September 2021 showed Horsham’s list had reached an all-time high, with 577 vulnerable families waiting for homes.



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“It’s an increase of 343, or 146.58 percent, since Labor was elected in 2014,” she said.

Statewide, the total number of applicants on the government’s priority housing wait list has almost doubled, rising from 9990 applicants in September 2014 to 19,279 applicants in September 2021.

Priority applicants include the most vulnerable community members,  those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, escaping domestic violence or living with a disability or special housing need.

“I have been told that some support agencies are no longer referring vulnerable people to the waiting list because they know they will never get a home,” Ms Kealy said.

“It is astounding that Labor recently called for community housing agencies to put forward proposals for new social housing projects in regional Victoria when they haven’t even struck a blow on the ‘shovel ready’ Horsham project.

“The Andrews Labor government has had seven years to fix this but has failed vulnerable families both in Horsham and right across the state. Yet again, what Labor say and what they do are two entirely different things.”

A Department of Families, Fairness and Housing spokesperson said Homes Victoria was continuing to work with community housing partner Haven; Home, Safe to find an appropriate site to deliver the project.

“An announcement is expected to be made about the new site in coming weeks,” they said. 

“Under the record $5.3-billion Big Housing Build, Horsham has been guaranteed at least $15-million in government investment in new social and affordable housing. The Rapid Grants Round of the Social Housing Growth Fund will deliver 2352 new social homes across 38 local government areas – the biggest investment allocation announced to date.”

Projects under the Social Housing Growth Fund are owned, led and delivered by community housing agencies, with Homes Victoria providing grant funding to support projects as they progress. 

The spokesperson said Haven; Home Safe had advised the government that its original Horsham site was no longer available. 

They said work to find an appropriate site was ongoing and the project would be delivered through development partner, Elmstone.

Haven; Home Safe’s project will build units suited to singles, couples and small families who currently live in the Horsham area or with close connections to the community through work, family or support networks.

The entire December 8, 2021 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!