Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Hinch, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the aged care homeless supplement was introduced to assist specialist homeless aged care providers to remain financially viable in order to enable them to continue to provide aged care services to older Australians with a history of, or at risk of, homelessness;

(b) acknowledges that:

  (i) unlike mainstream providers, specialist homeless aged care providers have a reduced ability to recover costs from residents, as they do not have the capacity to pay, and

  (ii) the financial viability of specialist homeless aged care services is again at risk as the funding gap between mainstream providers and these specialist providers has once again grown; and

(c) calls on the Government to urgently review the funding situation of these specialist homeless aged care providers and address the funding gap.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave for one minute is granted.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth government directly supports aged-care providers who specialise in supporting the homeless. We provide a homeless supplement of $15.94 per day per resident, plus a viability supplement payment under the 2017 scheme of $13.75 per day per resident, which are available to providers. Once a service has been determined as eligible for the supplements, they are paid for all residents in the facility, not just the homeless. For example, an eligible 50-bed facility could receive additional supplements of over half a million dollars per year under the scheme. Additionally, under the Commonwealth Home Support program the government provides assistance to access housing and other support services specifically targeted to address homelessness.

Question agreed to.