INVESTING IN PROVIDING OUR MOST VULNERABLE WITH SAFE AND SECURE ACCOMMODATION

Guy Barnett MP, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing

In addition to the Tasmanian Liberal Government’s 10-year $1.5 billion housing package to build and acquire 10,000 homes by 2032, we are taking serious action right now to provide safe, secure and modern accommodation for Tasmanians in immediate need of shelter.

More than $36 million per year is invested in specialist homelessness services including shelters, which are often the first step towards stable accommodation for many Tasmanians on the pathway to living independently, with improved health and wellbeing.

The 2022-23 Budget includes $6.85 million to continue to provide Safe Spaces - $3.06 million for Hobart,
$1.9 million for Launceston and $1.9 million for Burnie.

Safe Spaces is an innovative and integrated response for people sleeping rough, which is uniquely Tasmanian, making a real difference every day to addressing homelessness.

Safe Space services have core functions of a daytime drop-in service, a night-time sleep over service and an assertive outreach service for those not ready or able to attend the Safe Space sites.

On site services are provided, which include a clinic with a nurse practitioner and Housing Connect staff who can assist people to secure longer-term housing.

State-wide, the Safe Space program can provide up to 77 beds of emergency accommodation each night – 35 beds in Hobart, 22 beds in Launceston and 20 beds in Burnie.

We know many Tasmanians are doing it very tough and there is more work to be done to ensure Tasmanians have access to safe and secure accommodation.

We are building additional facilities for crisis and transitional accommodation, with works starting this month on a new $20 million, 50-bed facility to be operated by Bethlehem House on the site of the former Hobart Waratah Hotel.

We are also providing 23 units of crisis and transitional accommodation for young people in the North-West, an eight-unit homelessness facility for men in Devonport, a new 26-unit Youth2Independence facility in Hobart and adding 20 more self-contained residential units to the existing 30 units for youth accommodation at Thyne House in Launceston.

A new crisis accommodation dwelling for women and children escaping family violence or experiencing homelessness has recently been opened at Jireh House in the State’s South, while expansions of the Launceston Women’s Shelter and McCombe House in the South are currently underway.

The 2022-23 Budget includes $2.45 million to operate the Devonport Men’s Shelter over four years, $85,000 per year for five homes to support those transitioning from mental health inpatient care and $172,000 for the Bethlehem House Emergency Response (South).

In Launceston, the $1.9 million expansion of the Launceston Women’s Shelter is adding 15 self-contained one, two, and three-bedroom units and associated facilities, including a multi-purpose centre, laundries and a children’s playground. This expansion will more than double the shelter’s capacity to help women and their children and is expected to be completed by November.

All Tasmanians deserve to be safe and secure, and this Budget demonstrates our commitment to providing for our most vulnerable.