There are more homeless Australians today than ever before.

Data released this week by Homelessness Australia at the start of Homelessness Week shows that Federal Government’s investment in social housing and homelessness reduction has dropped dramatically.

In 2013, when Labor left office, the Federal Government committed $2 billion a year for social and Indigenous housing and homelessness. When adjusted for inflation and population growth, that is about $2.7 billion today.

This financial year the Morrison Government has only budgeted to spend $1.6 billion.

It is no wonder we have a housing crisis in Australia. 

It’s harder to buy a home today than ever before.  It’s harder to rent than ever before.  And there are more homeless Australians than ever before.

The largest group of homeless Australians are women and children – a lot of them fleeing domestic violence.

Last year 10,000 were turned away from refuges because there were no beds.

The fastest growing group of homeless Australians are older women aged 55 and over. 

About one in 10 people who are homeless are veterans.

The Morrison Government has turned its back on our most vulnerable Australians.

Scott Morrison and his Minister for Housing do not believe it is the Federal Government’s responsibility to fund social housing and reduce homelessness.  

They blame the crisis on the states and territories. That’s just plain wrong. 

It’s the responsibility of all of us.

If Labor wins the next election, we will act where the Morrison Government will not.

We will establish the Housing Australia Future Fund to build social and affordable housing and help reduce homelessness across Australia.

Over the first five years it 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.
• 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.