Legislative Council Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Answers to Questions Housing Vacancy Rates Housing Vacancy Rates The Hon. R.A. SIMMS Legislative Council Housing Vacancy Rates In reply to the Hon. R.A. SIMMS ().5 July 2022). The Hon. K.J. MAHER Legislative Council Housing Vacancy Rates The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Attorney-General, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Human Services has advised: The state Labor government is taking action by investing $177.5 million of extra funding into public housing that will build 400 new homes, upgrade 350 vacant properties so they can be homes again for people in need and undertake maintenance on 3,000 more. We are also working with federal Labor on its $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund that will deliver 30,000 social and affordable homes nation-wide. With regard to vacant private dwellings reported in the Census, the raw number dropped by around 8,500 between 2016 and 2021 and the percentage also dropped from 12.6 per cent to 10.8 per cent. The vacancy rate is much higher in regional areas—around 20 per cent compared to 7 per cent in Greater Adelaide. Many of the regional homes are in holiday locations – like Robe that had almost 60 per cent vacant dwellings on Census night—without easy access to services, employment and transport.