Wednesday, 14 August 2024

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:23): Last week was national Homelessness Week, and it was not a celebration. What it was was an opportunity to bring so many of us together, including people from all over this chamber and the other place, to have some conversations that are, and indeed should be, a source of discomfort but also determination. Homelessness itself is often exceptionally complex. But although home is a starting point, we also know that it comes against the backdrop of often lifelong and indeed intergenerational trauma and disadvantage as well as vulnerability and humiliation. Everybody deserves a home that is safe and secure and provides a source of dignity and connection and a way for people to live authentically.

The 2024–25 budget includes around $197 million to support people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We also know that it is important to invest in social inclusion, which is why there is $40.8 million in the Journey to Social Inclusion program, based on the Housing First principles, and a $103.9 million, four-year grant program for contemporary and evidence-based solutions to drive down homelessness. There has also been an $8.2 million investment in May 2024 to continue to boost homelessness services, and that builds on around $300 million annually to support our homelessness service sector. Homelessness needs to be and should be rare, brief and non-recurring. When we talk about it being rare, this means we also need to be able to provide housing right across the housing continuum, from crisis and transitional housing right through to social housing, private rental assistance and the work we are doing in that space, affordable housing and then ultimately, for people for whom this is an aspiration, home ownership. We are determined to continue this work. I thank everybody who was part of the discussions last week and will be part of the discussions to continue.