Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator White for her question and I thank her, not only for her continued support for more housing in Australia for Australians who need it but for her advocacy for social justice and equity for all of her working life including in this Senate. We do have an ambitious housing reform agenda and we welcome the new support for the Housing Australia Future Fund. We look forward to the Senate dealing with the legislation expeditiously.

This fund, the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, will ensure there is consistent and ongoing funding for social and affordable rental housing. Returns from the fund will help deliver our commitment to 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund's first five years. And it will deliver the Albanese government's commitments to help address acute housing needs, including $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities. It will provide $100 million for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children impacted by family violence and for older women, who, we know, are increasingly at risk of homelessness, and there will be funding to build housing for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. We've announced additional funds of $1 billion to be invested in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support new homes.

So despite persistent ongoing and unconscionable opposition from those who presided over the housing crisis, we are now tackling the Liberals and Nationals, who sowed the seeds of housing crisis in their wasted decade in government, who neglected those most in need. Those on this side of the chamber are working to deliver more homes for Australians, something that you consistently oppose.