Housing Minister Rose Jackson at the site of the 12 factory-built social homes with MP Dr Joe McGirr (right) and Wagga Mayor Dallas Tout. Photo: Dr Joe McGirr/Facebook.
Eight factory-built social homes are still sitting tenantless nearly two months after they were to be delivered, but Housing Minister Rose Jackson insists their completion is close.
Ms Jackson visited Wagga in May to announce the 12 factory-built social homes, saying they would be delivered by the end of June to help ease the city’s housing shortage.
Six weeks later, two-thirds of the promised homes still haven’t been handed over as pressure mounts on Homes NSW, Wagga Wagga City Council and Ms Jackson to support the city’s homeless population.
Region contacted Ms Jackson’s office for clarification on why the homes still haven’t been handed over and was told wet weather was behind the delay, the same reason the Minister provided in early July.
Despite the rain, Ms Jackson said the remaining eight homes should be delivered by the end of August.
Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr said that while it was disappointing that wet weather had delayed the homes’ completion, he was encouraged by the assurance of delivery this month.
“These 12 homes are just some of the many social housing properties that will be needed in Wagga to make up for years of neglect by governments,” he said.
“Although the Tolland project is taking too long to deliver, I am pleased that preparatory works for the next stage have started and look forward to the delivery of almost 500 new affordable and social homes when the project is completed.
“I will make a statement to Parliament this week, stressing the absolute importance of ongoing major investment in social housing by the government to redress the alarming shortfall in available properties and to ensure that homes are provided to those in need.”
Wagga councillor Richard Foley said he wasn’t surprised the delivery of the homes had been delayed as construction had been slowed across the city due to bad weather.
Despite the delay, Cr Foley said, the State Government needed to focus on building pathway housing to support the city’s homeless people.
“While 12 new homes are always welcome, it’s not nearly enough to tackle the issue,” he said.
“The government’s current solution is temporary accommodation, which is effectively funnelling people and millions of dollars into hotels.
“This should have been foreseen, and that money should have been used for transitional housing with the focus on helping people find homes.
“That’s the only way you’re going to solve it. But they [the NSW Government] refuse to come to the party on that.”
