Standing with Major General Brendan Nottle from Salvation Army
Independent lord mayoral candidate and small business owner Arron Wood will deliver $3 million to fund hotel stays as a crisis accommodation option to reduce the number of people sleeping rough in the City of Melbourne.
The $3 million Hotels for Homeless program will provide hotels for people who have been identified by the City of Melbourne as sleeping rough, as a circuit breaker until more appropriate accommodation can be found.
If elected, Mr Wood will also advocate to the Victorian Government to fast-track much-needed crisis and transitional housing options within the City of Melbourne.
“In a city like Melbourne, we shouldn’t accept that people are forced to sleep on our streets – Town Hall needs to do more,” Mr Wood said.
“Homelessness is complex and there’s no silver bullet – but we know that providing safe accommodation is such a critical first step. We also need to encourage the development and delivery of more affordable housing options.”
An expanded network of daily outreach teams, including Vic Police, the Salvation Army, and St Vincent de Paul, will engage with rough sleepers and provide hotel accommodation and build long-lasting relationships.
A hotline will be established so community members can request a rapid response to provide support to a person who is experiencing homelessness in the City of Melbourne.
If elected, Team Wood will work with the Victorian Government and homelessness agencies to deliver full wrap around services, 24/7 safety and security management. Individuals with highly complex needs or issues will be found appropriate and supported housing pathways, if hotel accommodation isn’t suitable.
Team Wood will enact a Melbourne Zero model to enable the City of Melbourne, Victoria Police, local organisations and the community to work more effectively together. No one needs to sleep rough in the City of Melbourne.
An extra $1 million in funding will be delivered to the Salvation Army so the organisation can continue and expand its critical work supporting people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness in the City of Melbourne.
Mr Wood has also pledged to fast-track more private housing including more affordable and key worker accommodation within the City of Melbourne by slashing red tape for the development industry and removing road blocks to convert under-utilised buildings into residential accommodation.
“We need more of every type of housing – social, affordable and private housing. The more homes that get built means the pressure will be eased for renters and those looking to buy their first home.”
The lack of housing for key workers is hurting businesses. Team Wood will help to establish a register of affordable homes for people such as healthcare staff, teachers and emergency service workers and work with the Victorian Government, and the private sector, to encourage more affordable housing for key workers.
Team Wood will also consider offering a density bonus for housing projects that deliver affordable housing. This means more homes could be built on a parcel of land, as long as a significant portion were affordable and earmarked for key workers.
A forensic audit of City of Melbourne-owned properties will be conducted, and charities such as Housing All Australians will be able to submit proposals on how these properties could be turned into either transitional or permanent housing – particularly focusing on the fastest growing cohort of homeless, women over the age of 50.
Team Wood will advocate for changes to state taxes to make housing more affordable such as removing stamp duty for first-home buyers who purchase a newly-built apartment within the City of Melbourne up to $800,000 – the current rate is $600,000.
If elected, Team Wood will work with State and Federal governments to encourage more affordable housing projects for key workers. Team Wood will examine discounted council rates for projects that deliver more affordable housing for key workers and advocate for reductions in land tax, off the plan stamp duty reductions and GST exemption specifically to incentivise the development of key worker housing.
We will also push for planning reform to reduce bureaucratic delays and holding costs, ensuring approved developments are approved and then built promptly. With 40,000 approved but unbuilt dwellings in Melbourne, streamlining processes and providing the right economic stimulus to help make projects more viable will help create the much-needed housing and deliver it to the market faster.
If elected, Team Wood will advocate for the State Government to also increase funding for social and affordable housing.
Comments