Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, I present the committee's report entitled Shelter in the storm—COVID-19 and homelessness: Interim report of the inquiry into homelessness in Australia, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—I'm pleased to present Shelter in the stormCOVID-19 and homelessness. This is an interim report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into homelessness in Australia.

According to the 2016 census data, more than 116,000 people are homeless or living in insecure or substandard housing in Australia. That's a rate of 49.8 homeless persons for every 10,000 of our population. Homelessness is not distributed evenly either. Certain geographic, demographic and social groups are particularly vulnerable to homelessness and are overrepresented among the homeless. At the outset, it is important to recognise that housing and homelessness is the principal responsibility of the state and territory governments. That said, the federal government provides some $6.2 billion in assistance to the sector in the form of $4.6 billion a year in a Commonwealth rent assistance, and $1.6 billion to the states under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. It provides concessional loans for community housing providers and housing development infrastructure, to name just a few. I note the Treasurer announced last night in the budget that an additional $1 billion of low-cost finance will support the construction of affordable housing, taking the concessional finance available to CHPs to $3 billion.

Even as the committee's inquiry commenced in February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was arriving in Australia. As the virus spread, the committee quickly realised it would have major implications for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and the governments and organisations who work with them. After suspending the inquiry briefly in response to the virus in May 2020, the committee reopened submissions and called for evidence, particularly on the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness. We encouraged community groups and others to share their experiences in responding to the pandemic. By the beginning of October, the committee had received close to 200 submissions, most of which discussed the COVID-19 situation, some in great detail.

Between June and August, we spoke to 40 government and non-government organisations at five public hearings, many which were held by teleconference. I'd like to express the committee's great appreciation to the many people and organisations who have taken the time and made the effort to engage with us and contribute to this inquiry at a time when they had much more to deal with on their plates.

The evidence received by the committee shows the COVID-19 pandemic has affected those at risk of or experiencing homelessness in a range of ways, most of them negative. COVID-19 has increased and complicated demands for services and responses from all levels of government. It has imposed new challenges and additional pressures on the numerous hardworking community organisations that support and assist people facing homelessness and housing insecurity across Australia.

This report summarises the issues and perspectives raised in the evidence received by the committee in relation to COVID-19 and homelessness in Australia. The committee considered it was important to present this interim report now so that the evidence could be considered by the executive in a timely way, even though the pandemic and its effects are yet to be fully realised. The interim report does not make recommendations, as both the COVID-19 situation and government's response to it continue to evolve. Rather, the committee encourages the Australian government to consider the evidence offered in this report and take it into account as it continues to formulate its immediate and long-term responses to the pandemic, including in cooperation with the states and territories.

I hope this report can contribute to the efforts of governments at all levels to respond appropriately, compassionately and wisely to the problem of homelessness in the time of COVID-19. Homelessness existed before the pandemic and will sadly, surely, endure beyond it. However, the current circumstances create a particularly urgent challenge and opportunity to ensure that as many Australians as possible are safely and securely housed—that they can find shelter in a storm.

The committee's inquiry is not complete and we will continue our work of examining the problem of homelessness in Australia, in accordance with the full terms of reference. We will present a final report, including recommendations, at the conclusion of the inquiry. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank my deputy chair and all members of the committee for their hard work. It has been a challenge doing most of this inquiry over videoconference and teleconference, but, hopefully, we'll get some good outcomes as a result of it. Until then, I commend this report to the House.

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