Affordable Housing

In reply to the Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (3 May 2022).

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries): The Minister for Human Services has provided the following advice:

The biggest loss of public housing in South Australia's history, possibly Australia's history, occurred under the SA Liberal Party when approximately 12,000 homes were lost from 1994 to 2002. This included a single year with a reduction of around 3,000 homes.

When the Liberals were next elected, their 10-year housing strategy promised to deliver 1,000 affordable homes–not even social housing–by 2025 through an alleged $398.7 million initiative. After Labor was elected in 2022, it was discovered that only 54 homes had been completed. Even more startling was the discovery that 73 per cent of the program total to April 2022 was for the Housing Trust's own internal land with barely a quarter being spent on construction. The Liberals were selling off Housing Trust land instead of building social housing on it. The Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services showed a reduction in public housing for every year of the Liberal Party's recent single term of government.

In contrast, Labor is working to maintain our level of public housing through a commitment of more than $177 million in new capital funding.

Federal Labor has also committed to deliver a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years. The Malinauskas Labor government is looking forward to working with a federal government that is committed to addressing housing and homelessness.