Stakeholders from a broad range of industries including housing providers, community health, emergency relief and real estate agencies will attend the event to share their insights, experiences and to provide local insight.

Discussion will include housing opportunities in the Bendigo region, the kind of housing that is in demand and the role the Federal Government can play.

The input from the roundtable will contribute to the national conversation on housing which has reached crisis point.

Australia is experiencing one of the most severe housing shortages in the last decade. In Bendigo alone there are 3,000 people currently waiting on social and affordable housing through the Victorian Housing Register.

Nearly a decade of inaction from the previous government has been followed by the Senate’s June decision to stall the Government’s national housing policy.

The future of the Government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund remains in doubt after being voted down by a coalition of the Liberal and National parties, One Nation, and the Greens.

The Albanese Government has taken immediate action to address the housing crisis by announcing the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator, working in partnership with the States and Territories, however more solutions are needed to address the immediate issue.

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters:

“It’s vital that industry leaders can share their ideas, difficulties, and aspirations on how the Government can work with them to find solutions to the housing crisis.

“The Albanese Government already has a plan to get more people into homes. But we welcome any new proposals that could help us deliver them.”