Salvos highlight growing public housing demand

Thu May 31, 2007

The Salvation Army says low housing affordability, high demand for rental properties and high unemployment have contributed to a rise in demand for public housing in Gippsland.

A Government report shows waiting lists have fallen by 3 per cent in most areas regional areas, but not in Gippsland.

The manager of Gippscare, Ken Parkin, says the competition for housing has become fierce as the number of Centrelink dependents and rental prices continue to climb.



"For this year alone, in the regions of Baw Baw Shire, South Gippsland Shire and Bass Coast Shire, from the beginning of the year until now, which is five months, we've got more than 900 contacts come through our service alone and all of those are housing-related - that's an increase from the previous six months, many because they're in housing crisis," he said.