Social Futures supports the development of a new national homelessness plan

Summary

Social Futures has helped ensure the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness are heard as the Australian Government develops a 10-year National Housing and Homelessness Plan. The plan will set out a vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy in our nation. On October 27, Social Futures arranged a community event in northern NSW, part of the national consultation to hear from people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

A new national homelessness plan

Social Futures has helped ensure the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness are heard as the Australian Government develops a 10-year National Housing and National Homelessness Plan.

The plan will set out a vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy in our nation. On October 27, Social Futures arranged a community event in northern NSW, part of the national consultation to hear from people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Social Futures participants highlight housing and homelessness challenges

Around 12 of our participants from our housing and family support programs were involved. Each spent around 90 minutes explaining their challenges and outlining possible systemic improvements. We are of course grateful for their time and willingness to share their stories. The Department of Social Services has employed consultants, the Social Deck, to conduct the consultations. (The Social Deck is a B-Corp certified agency specialising in research, communication, and engagement.)

The next step is to bring together all the inputs from the consultations into a consultation report.  The Department of Social Services will be releasing the Plan next year, which is a 10 year strategy. To stay up to date you can sign up on DSS engage website

The Department for Social Services explains the governments actions

This is how the Department for Social Services explains the government’s actions in formulating a National Homelessness Plan

“The development of the Plan recognises long-standing calls from states and territories, as well as other key stakeholders, for a national plan to help more Australians access safe and affordable housing. The Plan will provide a better understanding of the current state of housing and homelessness in Australia and the drivers of homelessness and housing insecurity throughout urban, regional, rural and remote Australia.

Bringing governments together

Most importantly, the Plan will set out strategies for how all levels of government can work together. Alongside the private and community sector to better support people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. The Plan is a key part of the Government’s ambitious reform agenda which also includes:

• a 15% increase to the maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance to assist low-income renters.
• the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund. The single biggest investment in social and affordable housing by a Federal Government in more than a decade. Which will support the delivery of 30,000 social and affordable homes in its first 5 years
• a National Housing Accord. Setting out a shared ambition to build one million new homes
• an additional $350 million over 5 years from 2024-25 to support funding of 10,000 affordable homes under the Accord
• providing tax incentives to support build-to-rent developments to reduce barriers to new supply in the private rental market
• increasing the Housing Australia’s (previously National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation) liability cap by an additional $2 billion. This will allow Housing Australia to provide more loans to community housing providers for social and affordable housing, supporting around an additional 7,000 dwellings
• widening the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, making up to $575 million available to invest immediately in social and affordable rental homes
• expanding eligibility for the Home Guarantee Scheme to help more people buy a home sooner
• offering states and territories an additional $67.5 million to address homelessness as part of a one year extension to the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement
• a $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator payment to State and Territory Governments, which will create thousands of homes for Australians on social housing waiting lists.

How can I get involved?

The Plan is being developed in collaboration with key stakeholders including state and territory governments, local government, not-for-profit and civil society organisations, industry bodies, superannuation funds and other experts in housing, finance and urban development.”

To learn more about what Social Futures can do to support your housing needs please visit https://socialfutures.org.au/service-category/homelessness-and-housing/

To learn more visit: https://www.dss.gov.au/housing-support-programs-services-housing/developing-the-national-housing-and-homelessness-plan

PHOTO: A homelessness camp in northern NSW.