Overview
Mission Australia and Mission Australia Housing work towards and advocate for an Australia where everyone has the foundation of a safe and secure home that enables them to thrive. For this reason, we strongly support the establishment of a statutory human rights framework for NSW, and particularly one that enshrines the right to housing.
Australia is one of the few Western countries that does not have a national Human Rights Act or a Charter of Human Rights. These mechanisms could perform vital functions, such as: integrating Australia’s international human rights obligations into domestic law at all levels of government; mandating the consideration of human rights such as freedom, respect, equality and dignity when making laws and delivering services; ensuring that all people, communities, services, businesses and governments are held to the same legal standards; helping to prevent and challenge human rights violations; and improving everyone’s understanding of and respect for human rights.
Binding legislation that underpins multifaceted, systems-level coordination is one of the many components needed to effectively reduce people’s risk of, and experiences of, homelessness and other forms of disadvantage. Legislation, including in the form of an enforceable Human Rights Bill, would help to fully realise the visions outlined in the Homes for NSW Strategy 2025-2035 and NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035, which emphasise that everyone should have a safe, decent home and, where needed, the right support at the right time.