Page 1857 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 1 May 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The trust also has a commitment to helping those who are homeless. To ensure that we can respond appropriately to the needs of those in housing stress, the trust is continuing to respond to the demands for housing assistance and is currently reviewing its priority allocations, eligibility criteria, rent relief, rental rebate scheme and emergency housing strategy. These reviews are being done in close consultation with the community.
Mr Speaker, all these initiatives demonstrate that this Government does have a commitment, and that it is fully aware of the emerging difficulties. We are responding in a caring and expeditious manner.
MR WOOD (3.58): There is a very clear and imperative reason behind the raising of this matter today by the Opposition. That reason is the fact that we in our ranks have had no small number of people in the community come to us and draw our attention to what appears to be a looming crisis in housing. I suggest to you that the input that we are getting from the community - and maybe you are getting the same approaches - is suggesting a trend that is ahead of the statistics, and in a month, or two, three or four months, as data are collected and prepared, you will then see the impact of what it is that we are saying today.
For example, I live in a cul-de-sac that is immediately adjacent to one of Canberra's major roads, and I was aware the week before last that a couple slept in a car at the end of that cul-de-sac. It was quite clear when I came home, not too late in the evening, that there were people in the car, and they were still there when I went out to get the paper in the morning. I have never seen that before, and I do not expect to see it again. I did go out shortly after in a better form of dress than I was wearing when I went out the first time, but they had gone. So, I was not in a position to offer them the advice that it was clear that they urgently needed. I have never seen that before, yet there it is. I am told that it has happened, but it happened close to me - perhaps because I live close to a major road.
I had a call at home early this week from people who have been renting in the private market for many years. They are fine tenants, acknowledged by all as the sort of tenants that every landlord would want. They were faced overnight with a 30 per cent increase in their rent, and, of course, that is something that they could not afford. That is the private rental market. As we have discussed this upstairs, my colleagues Mrs Grassby and Mr Connolly have indicated that they have had approaches from people who are also feeling the stress of the private rental market. So, we discern some disturbing trends coming into this scene.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .