By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE manager of a Casey support service believes more diversification of public housing stock in the municipality is needed as well as a higher quantity.
Cranbourne Information and Support Service (CISS) executive officer Leanne Petrides said it was important that people living in public housing were allocated to appropriately sized houses according to the size of their families in order to maximise space.
But she conceded how difficult it was for the Department of Human Services (DHS) to be constantly aware of changing family sizes, which can occur when children leave home.
“If we’re going to respond to changing family sizes, we need to make sure we are doing it by building houses of various sizes,” she said.
“But we need to make sure that if families are moved on, that they are moved on in their own communities.
“It would be absolutely devastating for someone who has raised a family in their own community, with connections, not to have access to those any more.”
Ms Petrides also said there appeared to be a lack of one-bedroom public houses in Casey, compared to those with three bedrooms or more.
A DHS spokesperson said the department actively reviews a public housing tenant’s situation.
“The department actively assesses the situation of tenants and regularly inquires with tenants living in properties that may be too big for their requirements to see if they would like to move to a smaller property,” the spokesperson said.
“These conversations may involve tenant’s family members, such as children who have since left the property.
“These tenants are not required to move, however the option is discussed with them.”
The spokesperson said applications for public housing were segmented into two categories – ‘early housing’ and ‘wait turn’.
Early housing caters for people who are homeless and receiving support, people with a disability who have significant support needs and people with special housing needs.
Wait turn is for all eligible people on low incomes.
Spending on social housing in Victoria fell by almost half, or $247 million, last financial year, while 35,778 people were on the public housing waiting list in 2013, according to the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services.
The report indicated that the Victorian Government spent $256.8 million on capital expenditure for social housing in 2012-2013, compared with $503.8 million in 2011-12.
Are you on the public housing waiting list? Is unaffordable rent putting your family budget under strain? Let us know at editor@starnewsgroup.com.au
