A Bill introduced by Senator David Pocock and North Sydney MP Kylea Tink to legislate a National Housing and Homelessness Plan is a welcome step to recognising adequate housing as a fundamental human right and creating a more equitable housing system for all Australians, according to the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA), Homelessness Australia, and National Shelter.
The three national peaks have come together to strongly endorse the landmark Bill, which would legally require the Federal Government to develop and maintain a 10-year plan to address Australia's housing crisis.
Wendy Hayhurst, CEO of CHIA, said: "Mandating a long-term, comprehensive approach to addressing housing affordability and supply issues would allow Australia to move beyond short- term fixes and create lasting solutions. No one pretends this challenge is easy when we are grappling with decades of policy inaction, but a bold initiative like this could just be the circuit- breaker needed to get us onto a better path."
Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia, endorsed the Bill's emphasis on homelessness: "The inclusion of ending homelessness as a key objective of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan is vital. This Bill recognises that homelessness is created by Government's policy choices and can be solved with the right long-term strategy and commitment. The Bill establishes the ambition that's needed to shift the dial."
Emma Greenhalgh, CEO of National Shelter, said reframing our approach to the current housing crisis is critical to making progress: "We often say that housing is a human right in Australia but our current approach to housing as wealth demonstrates that it is not. We applaud the Bill's emphasis on providing a clear framework of adequate housing as a human right. This shift in perspective is long overdue and essential for creating a fair and functional housing system."
The three national peaks urge all members of Parliament to support the legislation.
