Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness, Senator Arbib. Can the minister advise the Senate on what the government is doing to boost the supply of social housing in our country? How is this investment helping to turn around the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for the question. Senator Abetz at the start of today's questioning talked about the achievements of the Gillard government. Social housing is one of the great achievements of the government. The largest single investment in social housing history in this country has been through the Gillard government. Right now we are building more than 21,000 new social housing dwellings across Australia. This is happening under the government's stimulus package—a stimulus package which Liberal and National party senators voted against on the other side of the chamber. There are 19,600 new social housing dwellings and around 15,700 are already complete. There are also repairs and maintenance of over 80,000 dwellings. This is on top of the $6.2 billion we provide under the National Affordable Housing Agreement to the states to help them support social housing dwellings and also for repairs and maintenance.

One of the great outcomes is that at least half of these 21,000 homes are going to people who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness. Overall, the investment will provide much-needed housing for around 34,000 Australians. Under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness A Place to Call Home program we have invested in 600 supported accommodation dwellings for those who are homeless or at risk. This is on top of the 180 new or expanded homelessness services we are rolling out across the country.

In one week from today, it will be the one-year anniversary of Common Ground in Melbourne, a very innovative program taken from New York. In one year, it will house 65 people. It is not just stopping in Melbourne; this will go across the country. Overall, we are funding six Common Ground facilities and also nine youth foyers across the country. This is real achievement in housing and it is happening right now. (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister please outline to the Senate what the future need for social housing will be and are there any risks that need to be addressed in terms of the future of social housing?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have projected a need for additional social housing of 93,000 dwellings by 2023. Obviously a great deal of pressure is on the system through the ageing of the population, but we are also playing catch-up because the previous Howard government provided no extra funding for social housing but ripped funding out of the social housing system, cutting $3.1 billion from social housing when they were in government. This led to a loss of 33,000 social housing homes across Australia. They opposed the stimulus—19,600 homes—and of course they had no housing minister and they played the blame game: just blame the states. What will happen again, now we know they have got a $70 billion hole? They will go straight back to housing and take money straight out of the housing system. They have no commitment to housing. It will be the first place they raid. (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. What examples are there of communities working together in social housing, and how can we ensure that this effort continues strongly? Are there any risks that need to be guarded against with this effort continuing?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(New South Wales—Minister for Sport, Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development and Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) (15:00): We have been working as a government very closely with the community housing system, with about 1,000 community housing providers around the country, and working with the states, with the stimulus, and we have seen probably the biggest increase in community housing since the stimulus. As a sector, it now represents about 40,000 social housing dwellings. This sector relies on money that comes out of the National Affordable Housing Agreement, money that goes to the states to fund the public housing system. We know, from the previous form of the Howard government—and they are sitting on the other side there—that, when the Liberal Party have to find that $70 billion, they will go straight to housing. They will take money out of the National Affordable Housing Agreement. They will take money out of the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness. They will take money out of the Reconnect program. They have form, because they did it last time—$3.1 billion, and not one Liberal senator across there complained about it. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.