Author: Haven Home Safe CEO Trudi Ray
Have Home Safe has supported the ‘Bring Fairness Back’ campaign led by Everybody’s Home by emailing the Treasurer imploring him prioritise social housing investment, homelessness services and rent assistance in the next federal budget.
The campaign states that: last year, Australians gave $12.3 billion in tax breaks to property investors – more than we spent on social housing, homelessness services, and rent assistance combined ($9.6 billion).
Our letter outlines that the housing crisis has reached levels we have not seen before. Demand continues to rise, and the complexity of need is increasing. Yet funding has not kept pace. In real terms, resources to employ skilled staff and deliver effective, life-changing services are shrinking at precisely the moment they are most needed.
We also highlighted that the rate of social housing construction is not keeping pace with the growing number of people who need an affordable place to live (21,350 homes in HAFF Round 3 is less than half of the expanding numbers on the Victorian Housing Register). In the meantime, many individuals and families will realistically spend years waiting for a suitable housing option. This requires practical, sustained financial support and programs to ensure homelessness services have the staff and resources needed to support people during these extended periods of housing insecurity.
You can read our full letter below.
