Erasing Homelessness: A Ten-Year Solution

Australia has the potential to effectively eradicate homelessness within a decade, provided there is a dedicated commitment to a multifaceted approach, as outlined by Homelessness Australia. This comprehensive strategy encompasses the construction of 50,000 social and affordable homes annually, an expansion of Commonwealth Rent Assistance to alleviate rental stress, and a shift in government services towards preventing homelessness, rather than merely addressing its symptoms, via a novel ‘duty to assist’ framework.

The submission presented by Homelessness Australia to the National Housing and Homelessness Plan emphasises the pressing nature of the issue. It highlights that one in ten Australians will experience homelessness during their lifetime, with First Nations people experiencing a homelessness rate nearly ten times higher than the rest of the population.

Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia, underscores the urgency of the situation, particularly its impact on First Nations people, women, children, and those vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Colvin identifies structural inadequacies and policy gaps, particularly in the domains of housing affordability and support for at-risk individuals, which contribute to an ever-increasing strain on the existing system.

To address these issues, the submission proposes several key recommendations for both Commonwealth and state governments:

1. Ten-Year Commitment: A commitment to ending homelessness within a decade, with an intermediate goal of halving it within five years. This commitment should be accompanied by measurable targets and indicators for rent stress levels, exits from care, and eviction rates, subject to regular and independent review. A central part of this commitment involves the construction of 50,000 social and affordable homes each year.
2. Commonwealth Rent Assistance Expansion: Restructuring and increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance to promptly reduce rental stress. Eligibility for this assistance should be extended to individuals on low wages who currently do not qualify due to their lack of income support. The cessation of special COVID-related measures exacerbated the issue of rental stress.
3. ‘Duty to Assist’ Framework: Reinforcement of mainstream services to offer support during challenging times. The adoption of a ‘duty to assist’ principle implies that public officials, such as Centrelink staff, would actively screen for homelessness risk, provide support, and referrals, and ensure that no one exits public services into homelessness.
4. Monitoring Key Drivers: Vigilant monitoring of the key drivers of homelessness, including family violence, child abuse, and the adequacy of social security.

The submission highlights the stark reality that the current homelessness system is ill-equipped to assist those in need, with a distressing 72,000 individuals turned away from homelessness services in the past year. The submission underscores the necessity of a fundamental shift towards homelessness prevention, as nobody should be left to exit a government service into homelessness.

Recent years have witnessed a notable surge in homelessness in regional areas, outpacing the rates in capital cities. Contributing factors encompass unemployment, an acute shortage of low-cost housing, and a lack of support during crises, such as family violence, child abuse, or mental health issues. The pandemic further exposed gaps in social safety nets, particularly for temporary residents, new migrants, and international students who are ineligible for income support.

Discrimination, including racism and LGBTQIA+ discrimination, exacerbates the crisis, while climate change-related natural disasters have left thousands without shelter, highlighting the need for coordinated disaster planning and response.

Addressing the root causes of homelessness is at the core of a robust national plan. Housing stress has become the fastest-growing cause of homelessness, with a remarkable 27% increase from 2018 to 2022. Commonwealth Rent Assistance has failed to keep pace with the reality of a highly competitive rental market, necessitating an expansion of eligibility beyond income support recipients.

If current trends persist, the number of households with unmet housing needs, currently at 640,000, is projected to surge to 940,000 by 2041. To counter this, the submission calls for a continuous pipeline of 50,000 social and affordable homes each year and enhanced support for housing costs.

While initiatives like Housing First programs have demonstrated the importance of combining housing with support to address long-term homelessness, these initiatives require expansion and additional support. National programs like Carefinder have shown promise in preventing homelessness among older Australians but could achieve even more if all providers screened individuals for homelessness risk.

Kate Colvin stresses the need for a national commitment, noting that homelessness is a solvable problem, and Australia possesses the necessary resources and insights to eradicate it within a decade. The missing elements are the political and financial commitment required to effect real change.

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