Government social and affordable housing tenants have had to apply to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner to get action on unacceptable living conditions, according to case files obtained by the ABC. It’s an unacceptable situation for which the Liberals need to provide real solutions.
Cockroach infestations which broke ovens and forced residents to use a makeshift kitchen outside, mould so bad a shower couldn’t be used for months, and rain-soaked carpet blamed on tenants. These are just some of the horror stories of Tasmanian social and affordable housing tenants.
The government should be the model landlord. Instead, residents living in government social and affordable housing have repetitively had their concerns ignored by Homes Tasmania. They’ve been forced to reside in homes which are not only unsafe, they’re unliveable.
Tenants have been forced to go to the Residential Tenancy Commissioner to get critical issues fixed in their homes. It’s simply not good enough. Government should be promptly fixing issues renters have raised with their homes – or preventing them from happening at all.
Homes should meet minimum standards. Not only is it the law, it’s a basic necessity for renters. The Liberal Government has failed its responsibility to ensure safe and functional homes for Tasmanians.
We welcomed the Liberals’ decision to move the provision of social and affordable housing back within government. Homes Tasmania clearly wasn’t providing Tasmanians with the social and affordable housing that’s so desperately needed.
But the Liberal Government need to tell Tasmanians how they actually plan to fix issues with the provision of social and affordable housing in this state. It’s a basic responsibility of government to ensure Tasmanians have the safe and affordable homes they need.
