Mission Australia urges Senate to pass housing legislation

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Mission Australia is calling for the Senate to pass the housing legislation currently before it as a critical first step that will begin to address Australia’s housing and homelessness emergency.

Mission Australia’s CEO Sharon Callister said:

“Mission Australia supports the call of the four national peak housing and homelessness advocacy bodies for the Senate to pass legislation that will jumpstart the much-needed investment to tackle Australia’s housing and homelessness crisis.

I am hearing from our frontline workers across the country that the housing situation is far worse than they have ever seen it.

“The latest homelessness Census data demands urgent action. Every night in Australia there are 122,000 people without a safe and secure home, a five percent increase since 2016. The number of children who are homeless has risen by 12 percent.

“In a wealthy country like Australia this should not be the reality. We urge our politicians to keep these vulnerable women, men and children front of mind and work constructively together on a way forward.

“The legislation may not be perfect, and we still need to significantly increase the number of new social and affordable homes in Australia beyond the ambitions currently included, but it is an important step towards addressing our housing crisis and ending homelessness in Australia.”