Work starts on social housing and maintenance

Work is beginning on the Rudd Government’s $6.4 billion boost to public and community housing announced as part of the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan.

This includes $400 million for repairs and maintenance work for public and community housing.

It was estimated this funding would repair an additional 2,500 properties that are uninhabited or would otherwise be lost to the public and community housing stock over the next two years as they fall into disrepair.

The Government has now approved State and Territory proposals and a total of 10,648 homes will be repaired.

In addition, a further 37,271 public and community housing units will receive minor repairs and upgrades.

So in total, 47,919 public and community housing units will be worked on under the stimulus plan.

This is good news for the construction sector: it means the Government’s stimulus will support jobs in more locations and a greater diversity of trades – right across the country.

The $6.4 billion component of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan is estimated to support 15,000 jobs over the next two years.

Now that we have approved these funds, State Housing Authorities can start contracting tradies and builders immediately.

Industry groups have come out in strong support of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, which will aid the construction sector in this difficult global economic climate.

The public and community housing system has been starved of funds for more than a decade.

We’ve just put $6.4 billion back in – the single largest investment in social housing in Australia’s history.

This investment will prolong the useable life of these units and improve amenity for tenants.

Increasing the stock of available social housing also helps with the Rudd Government’s aim to halve homelessness by 2020.