Homelessness Australia has welcomed the Federal Government's inclusion of $6.2 million in homelessness peak body funding over three years in the Federal Budget.
"If Australia is going to solve homelessness, we need to draw on the policy, research and wisdom of people working to respond to homelessness and people with lived experience of homelessness," CEO of Homelessness Australia Kate Colvin said.
"To solve homelessness, we also need to invest in the capacity of homelessness services to share knowledge and best practice to continually improve homelessness services.
"This important funding commitment will increase our capacity to support the homelessness sector and to develop policy recommendations, helping to develop the most effective responses to the growing homelessness crisis," Kate Colvin said.
Homelessness Australia also welcomes the inclusion of continued investment in housing and homelessness funding to the states of $1,816.6 million in 2025-26, and $9.3 million over five years, as well as $1 billion for crisis and transitional housing for young homeless people and women and children fleeing violence. The peak body also welcomes investments in new social and affordable housing via the Housing Australia Future Fund.
Beyond the budget, Homelessness Australia urges all parties contesting the election to commit to the reforms and investment needed to drive down homelessness, and to better enable homelessness services to respond to increasing homelessness in our community.
Homelessness Australia's election platform calls for:
- $670 million for homelessness services so that no-one is turned away
- investment in social housing to achieve a target of 10% of housing stock
- increased income support and Commonwealth Rent Assistance
New funding for homelessness needs to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including resourcing:
- A Homelessness Prevention Fund
- Programs to sustain tenancies
- Proven models of housing with support for young people
- An expansion of Housing First and supportive housing programs for people at risk of chronic homelessness
- Resourcing a First Nations led housing and homelessness plan
