Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

Homelessness Week next week, coordinated by Homelessness Australia, is to raise awareness of people experiencing homelessness, the issues they face and the action needed to achieve enduring solutions. This year's theme is 'Housing ends homelessness'. In my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales, many people and families are living in housing crisis and are at risk of homelessness. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of people homeless on the coast increased by 34.6 per cent. In my home town of Wyong, the homelessness rate is twice the state average, and we're going backwards across Australia. Today's HILDA survey shows that the percentage of people living in relative poverty increased to 10.4 per cent in 2017.

This third-term government must act. What is this government's record on homelessness? This government defunded the National Rental Affordability Scheme in 2014. This government cut $44 million from homelessness funding in its 2014-15 budget. They defunded Homelessness Australia and abolished the National Housing Supply Council. In regions like ours on the Central Coast of New South Wales, homelessness may not be as visible as it is on city streets, but couch surfing is common, and women and children are living in cars to escape family violence. I saw this in my mental health work. Thankfully, not-for-profits and charities are doing their best in the face of savage government cuts.

Coast Shelter has been operating for over 25 years and is the largest provider of accommodation services on the coast. It runs five youth refuges as well as refuges for men and women. It also has 25 outreach beds where people moving into permanent housing can stay for up to 12 months. On Wednesday next week, I'll be joining Coast Shelter for its annual homelessness memorial service to remember those who have died while homeless or while suffering extreme hardship. CEO of Coast Shelter, Rachel Willis, said the memorial service followed by a march has been attracting more community support every year since it was started in 2013. Rachel said:

Last year, we had a family turn up and it was their first opportunity to farewell their daughter who was homeless and they had lost contact with, so it was very emotional.

When you are homeless it is very difficult to have a formal funeral with the flowers and family and friends, it just doesn't happen, so homeless people often pass without having the ceremony they deserve.

I also want to commend the work of local sisters Rebecca and Sheridan, who kickstarted the Shoebox Revolution. Shoebox Revolution fills shoeboxes with essential items to make life a little easier for people living on the streets. They're distributing about 400 a month, and each shoebox contains socks, a beanie, gloves and a scarf to keep people warm, shampoo and soap, and breakfast cereal, tinned fruit and noodles. I'm pleased to support Shoebox Revolution to help other people by wearing their Australian-made socks. All proceeds from each sale help Shoebox Revolution help those in need right on the coast. As they say: 'Warm feet, full heart.'

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