Homelessness Week is a time to sharpen our awareness of people experiencing homelessness and a necessary spur for taking the action that is needed to help alleviate a failure of social inclusion and social justice.
This week there are more Australians experiencing homelessness than ever before.
In the federal electorate of Fremantle, there were 700 people estimated to be homeless on Census night in 2016. And in the past 12 months, national rents for all houses have increased by 15.1 percent — while the proportion of social housing has declined.
Josh Wilson says the COVID-19 crisis has magnified the need for and the urgency of delivering more safe and affordable housing.
“At a time when the need for social housing far outweighs supply we should make sure our economic recovery is channelled through lasting investments in reducing inequality and creating shared wellbeing.”
“That’s why Labor will establish the Housing Australia Future Fund with a $10 billion investment to literally build greater fairness across the nation,” Mr Wilson said.
If Labor wins the next election we will establish the Housing Australia Future Fund, which, over the first five years will:
- Build 20,000 new social housing properties, including 4,000 homes for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness;
- Build 10,000 affordable homes for the heroes of the pandemic – frontline workers like police, nurses and cleaners that are keeping us safe;
- Provide $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities, where some of the worst housing standards in the world are endured by our First Nations people;
- Invest $100 million in crisis and transitional housing for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence, and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness; and
- Invest $30 million to build housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness.
After the first five years, a portion of the investment returns will be available to fund acute housing needs each year, in perpetuity. This funding will be used for additional crisis housing, transitional housing, and long-term social housing in parts of the country with the greatest need.