Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews Has a Plan for Social Housing, But It’s Built on Shaky Foundations
Victorian Labor premier Daniel Andrews has announced a Big Housing Build, touted as the largest investment in social housing for years. But in practice, it could lead to a net decline in public housing provision, while transferring control to nongovernment bodies.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media during a press conference on November 23 in Melbourne. (Daniel Pockett / Getty Images)
The Victorian Labor government of Daniel Andrews recently announced a “Big Housing Build,” a $5.3 billion “spending blitz” to construct 12,000 low-income housing units, including 9,300 new social housing units. A renewed commitment to social housing expenditure is a small victory for housing activists across Victoria.
But it’s by no means an unqualified triumph. On closer inspection, the plan falls far short of what’s needed to address burgeoning demand for affordable housing amidst an economically destructive pandemic. Worse still, the proposal includes a number of potential dangers.
As the Big Housing Build is going to be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny, housing activists still have an opportunity to pressure the government to adopt more ambitious housing goals. But first we need to subject the current plan to serious scrutiny, concentrating on five points.
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