Senate calls on govt to take responsibility for homelessness distress

2017-02-14

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

    (i) Melbourne is currently facing a housing crisis, with record numbers of people experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough in streets and parks,

    (ii) over 100 people are turned away from crisis accommodation every night in Victoria, and there are 32,000 people on the public housing waiting list,

    (iii) emergency housing services and other frontline services are operating above their capacity, and

    (iv) across Australia, almost 200,000 families are on housing waiting lists and yet only a small fraction of this need was addressed via new public and community houses made available last year; and

(b) calls on the Government to take urgent and meaningful action to end homelessness and housing distress being experienced by thousands of Australians.

Question agreed to.

Motion Housing