Housing and homelessness

Mission Australia supported the Sydney Alliance submission to the Greater Sydney Commission’s Draft Greater Sydney Region Plan and revised District Plans. The submission identified a range of recommendations on greater commitment to Affordable Rental Housing, transparent accountability and fairer access to Affordable Rental Housing. 

This submission focused on the need to integrate training and education about respectful, trauma informed and culturally sensitive training to a range of government officials. It also highlighted that in order to meaningfully address the issues of people experiencing homelessness in public places, there needs to be an increase in social and affordable housing in NSW.

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment are developing a Housing Strategy that is expected to be in place for the next 20 years. Our recommendations included the urgent need for government investment to increase social and affordable housing and more investment targeted at different cohorts including the ageing population.

We made a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care on Aged Care Program Redesign focusing on the needs of older people who have experienced or at risk of homelessness, challenges experienced by diverse groups of people and those living in rural and remote areas.

Mission Australia’s submission encouraged the Federal Treasury to take into account the needs of people experiencing financial disadvantages. The submission made a range of recommendations including the need to increase access to safe, secure and affordable housing and equity across the retirement income system.

Mission Australia’s submission provides recommendations on temporary accommodation and support options. At the same time, we emphasise the need for clear supply targets to drive work and accountability to meet long-term housing supply needs across NSW. Mission Australia’s Tailored Support Coordination Service model for social housing tenants, and partnership with the Department of Communities and Justice on the Fontainbleau transitional pilot program are also highlighted.

This submission advocates the adoption of the tools developed by the Constellation Project, which Mission Australia is a founding member, that would increase the supply of housing that is affordable for people on low to moderate incomes. Two of the tools recommended would facilitate inclusionary zoning and a funding mechanism which would incentivise and drive private investment into social and affordable housing.

This snapshot present the key findings from Mission Australia’s Homelessness and Stable Housing Support Impact Report. It summarises the growing demand for homeliness services over the last three years, the impact of Mission Australia services, what works in practice and recommendations for urgent action to end homelessness. 

Mission Australia is a supporter of Make Renting Fair QLD campaign and supported the proposed legislative amendments that were closely aligned with the campaign. We also made additional recommendations in relation to strengthening capacity of tenants to exercise and enforce their rights, additional financial and other supports for people experiencing additional challenges in the rental market such as people with disability, people experiencing financial disadvantages and those escaping domestic and family violence.

The Centre for Social Impact, UWA and Mission Australia have developed a prototype Homelessness Solutions Model Framework. The aim of the Framework is to inform how Australian governments should allocate resources to end homelessness. It includes a typology of solutions to homelessness, along with data on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of each solution to draw conclusions about efficient expenditure

The Centre for Social Impact, UWA and Mission Australia have developed a prototype Homelessness Solutions Model Framework. The aim of the Framework is to inform how Australian governments should allocate resources to end homelessness. It includes a typology of solutions to homelessness, along with data on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of each solution to draw conclusions about efficient expenditure.

This submission makes the recommendations to: invest in Housing First responses for those with more complex support needs; increase the stock of social housing available and suitable for older people; and commission new residential aged care facilities and better access to the NDIS for homeless older people.

The Commission’s review presents the best avenue to make the case to governments for the next Agreement to tether funding to the adoption of clear, shared and accountable policy objectives and targets, which we advocate is best delivered by a national housing and homelessness strategy.

Our submission advocates for social and affordable housing to be included as a key issue within the Liveable Settlements topic of the future Tasmanian Planning Policies. It is critical that Tasmania’s planning system supports adequate and appropriate housing that meets the needs of all in the community.

This report was written by the City Futures Research Centre at the University of NSW and commissioned by Mission Australia, the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Social Futures, The Salvation Army Australia, the Australian Red Cross, and the Tenants’ Union of NSW. It shows that action needs to be taken to safeguard regional Australians against homelessness and displacement as severe weather events become more common.

The submission contains recommendations for investing in the housing and homelessness systems to move to a credible path to end homelessness and provide everyone with a safe and affordable home, and the adoption of targets and measures to drive work and monitor progress.