Media Statements
Joint Statement - Labor abandons 80,000 new homes a year pledge
Joint Statement – Labor abandons 80,000 new homes a year pledge
Richard Riordan, Shadow Minister for Housing
James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning
14 March 2024.
Just six months after committing to build 80,000 new homes a year for the next decade, the Allan Labor Government is crab-walking away from this key commitment.
Speaking this morning, Minister for Housing, Harriet Shing, twice failed to confirm if Labor will ever meet the 80,000 new homes promise.
Furthermore, the Minister was unable to explain why after almost a decade in government, there are fewer public housing bedrooms available and wait times and waitlists for public housing have continued to grow.
Since 2018, the Labor Government has added a total of just 221 extra public housing properties, despite spending $4 billion.
Shadow Minister for Housing, Richard Riordan, said: “Labor cannot manage money and Victorians in need of an affordable place to call home are paying the price.
“You can’t house more people in fewer bedrooms and after almost ten years in government, more vulnerable Victorians are waiting longer than ever for a secure roof over their heads.”
Shadow Minister for Planning, James Newbury, said: “Labor has today admitted that its housing promise is a con.
“The Allan Labor Government has no plan to fix the housing crisis and its combination of higher property taxes, a mismanaged residential construction sector or a backlogged planning system.”