Public housing waiting lists have fallen, yet the number of rental evictions in Melbourne’s north has grown exponentially over the past three years.
State Housing Minister Wendy Lovell last week released the September quarter public housing waiting list figures for the Broadmeadows area, which showed a fall to the lowest level since June 2007.
But in the same week Ms Lovell’s data was released, eviction notices granted by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) showed a marked increase in homes “repossessed” by landlords in Hume jumping 63 per cent, from 91 in 2010 to 148 last year.
Craigieburn, Sunbury and Broadmeadows scored highest in Hume’s eviction notices tally.
In Whittlesea, there was a 53 per cent increase, from 47 in 2010 to 72 last year.
“It is a big concern that those areas with both the highest concentration of evictions as well as the biggest jumps in rates of evictions are in Melbourne’s poorly serviced growth areas,” Victorian Council of Social Services chief executive Emma King said.
