Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight in this adjournment debate I also rise to speak about an issue of great importance, and that is homelessness in our nation, noting that this week is Homelessness Week. Across Australia, more than 105,000 people are homeless each and every night of the week. We have many Australians who sleep on the streets, but many also sleep in friends' houses, in caravans or in cars. It is difficult, dangerous, degrading and tiring, making holding down employment, supporting your wellbeing and supporting your health almost impossible.

The theme of this year's Homelessness Week is action and innovation, and it provides an opportunity to highlight the effective approaches that have been implemented by specialist homelessness services in responding to homelessness in our nation. I want to begin by acknowledging the work of the organisations across Australia who work every day to provide these vital services to some of our most vulnerable Australians. I might add that it was a privilege for me to work for the peak body for social housing in Western Australia, Shelter WA, after I left this place back in 2014. It gave me a real passion for these issues.

We know that the causes of homelessness can be complex and the solutions are multifaceted. In 2015-16, specialist homelessness services provided assistance to nearly 300,000 clients. Fifty-nine per cent, or close to 166,000, were women. Family and domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness, with more than 100,000 people experiencing domestic violence seeking assistance from homelessness services.

What is also concerning is the increasing number of homeless people aged over 55, who represent one of the fastest-growing populations seeking assistance from homelessness services. Alarmingly, nearly half of all homeless people are young people, and 17 per cent of people who are homeless are aged under 12—they are just children. Over 43,000 young people aged 15 to 24 present to specialist homelessness services for help. Many of these young people are leaving out-of-home care and are facing really challenging transitions without family support.

With housing affordability also becoming more of an issue for young people across Australia, rental prices increasing in our cities, high unemployment, a high cost of living and slow wages growth, homelessness will continue to impact on too many Australians. It is why we must work to address all of the structural, social and economic factors that we know lead to homelessness and disadvantage.

We must do more to support women leaving domestic violence situations. I am pleased to know that a future Shorten Labor government would provide $88 million over two years for a new safe housing fund, to increase transitional housing options for women and children escaping family and domestic violence, young people exiting out-of-home care and older women on low incomes who are at risk. But we must do more to make housing more affordable. Since the government came to office, capital city house prices have soared by over 30 per cent, with increases of nearly 50 per cent in Sydney and 30 per cent in Melbourne. Home ownership is at a 60-year low, and we know that home ownership rates for first home owners have collapsed and many people will not have paid off their mortgage by the time they reach retirement.

Rental stress is also on the rise, so any affordable housing package that does not involve reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax in this country is a complete sham. I am pleased that Labor is committed to tackling negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions and is facilitating a COAG process to do this. These are real changes that will make an enormous difference to our housing and homelessness crisis in Australia. We must do more to fix inequality in our nation, and housing is a key. Labor is prepared to put forward bold reforms that will truly make a difference in not only fixing inequality and disadvantage in our nation but fixing the housing issues, which are key.