Tasmania needs more public housing money from Commonwealth
The Tasmanian Minister for Housing says the state needs more money from the Commonwealth to adequately fund public housing in Tasmania.
The Federal Government has released figures showing the number of government houses in Tasmania has fallen by nearly 1,700 in the past 10 years.
The Commonwealth says that during that time, it gave all the states a total of nearly $10 billion for public housing. However, State Health and Human Services Minister, Lara Giddings, says Tasmania’s share of that is small.
“We receive $25 million from the Commonwealth in support but we have to pay $17 million back out of that $25 million to the Commonwealth on interest,” she said.
“So effectively we get $8 million a year from the Commonwealth to assist us in public housing.”
