Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker Freelander. I am very proud to be the representative for Werriwa!

I rise to make my contribution on the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023, the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bill 2023 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Housing Measures No. 1) Bill 2023. It's interesting, reflecting on the contributions of other members, just how often it has to be a Labor government who makes the decisions to ensure that citizens of this country are looked after and have housing as a right—it is a human right for everyone in this country. Unfortunately, the constituents of Werriwa are acutely aware of the consequences of inaction by federal and state Liberal governments over the last 10 years and what that's meant for housing affordability and availability.

Werriwa's suburbs often make the list of the top 10 suburbs in New South Wales for mortgage and rental stress. My friend the member for Macarthur unfortunately also has suburbs on that list. That's why our community voted for the Albanese government's comprehensive housing plan at the election. This bill is another tranche of policies to start the repair of the housing market and make housing available to all Australians. Australians deserve access to safe and affordable housing. We know that as cost-of-living pressures mount Australians are being hit by increasing rents and growing mortgage rates, and many are struggling to buy a home. This has led to increased homelessness throughout the country.

There are now approximately 116,000 Australians experiencing homelessness. According to a recent report by Launch Housing, conducted by the University of New South Wales and the University of Queensland, the number of those accessing specialist homelessness services has increased by eight per cent since 2017. The fastest-growing groups accessing services are First Nations Australians and people with mental illness, with those groups growing by over 20 per cent. Housing affordability stress is increasingly becoming a reason why people are accessing homelessness services. The Albanese government understands how important it is to have affordable, suitable housing so that people are safe and can then access education and employment. To live without the stress of where they will sleep and what happens next is necessary to enjoy and live life well.

We have already implemented the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, which has helped more than 1,600 Australians into homeownership. We reached a landmark national housing accord with a shared ambition to build over one million well-located homes from 2024, with an additional $350 million of Commonwealth funding that will be equally matched by the states to deliver 10,000 affordable homes. We widened the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, which has up to $575 million available to invest in social and affordable housing. We're developing a national housing and homelessness plan to set short-, medium- and long-term goals to improve housing outcomes across the state. We're implementing the help-to-buy program to help Australians into houses sooner. And we've only been in government eight months.

The Albanese government and the Minister for Housing understand the importance and need to move quickly to meet the challenges of the housing affordability and availability crisis. These bills are the next step in this plan. Our government understands that a housing crisis is not just a social crisis; it also has wide-ranging economic consequences. The more pressure in the housing market, the further away workers must move from their place of employment, the harder it becomes for businesses to hire and the less disposable income people have overall. More importantly, it's less time they have with their families and in their communities, lowering their standard of living. It has serious ramifications for the Australian economy as well as the social fabric of our country. Australia prides itself on being a fair and egalitarian country, but can we really say that while thousands of Australians are facing homelessness, are homeless or are living in social housing that is in urgent need of repair?

In my community, I constantly receive calls from constituents about long waiting lists for social housing. Social housing is there to support the most vulnerable, and both federal and state governments have a responsibility to support Australians in their most difficult times. In south-west Sydney, due to the limitations of state and federal governments, social housing waiting lists are up to 20 years long—that's two generations. Rentals are impossible to find, expensive and in disrepair.

These bills are designed to deliver on that responsibility and to deliver on our 2022 election promises. This legislation will set up the Housing Australia Future Fund, a $10 billion fund that will be invested, with the returns to fund social and affordable housing. These returns will help deliver our government's commitment to 30,000 new social and affordable homes in the first five years of its operation, 20,000 of which will be social housing, with 4,000 allocated for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence as well as older women at risk of homelessness. The remaining 10,000 will be affordable housing for our front-line workers, who have worked tirelessly and selflessly during the difficult past few years. The fund's returns will also provide $200 million over the next five years to address housing needs in remote and Indigenous communities and $100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women and children impacted by domestic violence. The fund will be required to undergo a review every five years to assess the impact it's having on Australian housing needs.

Australia is facing a huge challenge, and the Albanese government understands this. The Housing Australia Future Fund is one step in addressing the systematic issues in housing, but we also understand that the issue must be approached from multiple directions, and the government is prepared to use all of those options to help solve the issue. The legislation will establish the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, which will be an independent statutory advisory body. Such a body is necessary to provide independent expert advice to the government and the minister on housing supply and how affordability and supply can be improved. The council will provide advice on the allocation of returns from the Housing Australia Future Fund. It will also help the Commonwealth play a leadership role in addressing the housing challenges facing Australia.

While many aspects of social housing are the responsibilities of state and territory governments, the federal government can play a role in facilitating and improving housing outcomes. The Albanese government has maintained a strong culture of collaboration with the state and territory governments, from disaster funding to health, energy and cost of living. Housing will be no exception. We will work and have worked to maximise the impact of all levels of government to improve the lives of Australians. The council is set to be established on 1 July this year, but an interim non-statutory council has already been established so the important work can begin.

Australians expect the Albanese government to act on this issue, and we are delivering, from the measures that we've already delivered in the last eight months to this legislation. The work to ensure social and affordable housing is accessible by all Australians does not stop, and the Albanese government will continue to tackle the issue. I commend the bills to the House.

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