2016-05-03
TREASURY
SENATE QUESTION
Notice Given: 18 April 2016
(Question No. 1st session - 2972, 211ct session - 3227)
Senator Ludlam, asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, upon notice, on 18 April 2016:
With reference to the Affordable Housing working group established in January 2016:
(1) Who has been invited to join the working group.
(2) How were these invited groups chosen.
(3) Who is representing homelessness on the working group.
(4) Who is representing community housing on the working group.
(5) How often is the working group expected to meet.
(6) Will minutes or communiques be published from meetings.
(7) What resources is the Department allocating to the working group.
ANSWER
Senator Cormann: The Treasurer has provided the following answer to the Honourable Senator's question:
(1) The Affordable Housing Working Group ('the Working Group') is being led by the Commonwealth Treasury and Department of Social Services, and comprises members from the New South Wales, Victorian and Western Australian Treasuries.
(2) The membership of the Working Group was decided by Heads of Treasuries.
(3-4) The Department of Social Services, who is leading the Working Group in conjunction with Treasury, has responsibility for social housing and homelessness policy at the Commonwealth level under the Administrative Arrangements Orders.
The Working Group has recently concluded a consultation process, which included a call for submissions from the public by 11 March 2016. This provided an opportunity for the community housing and homelessness sectors to input to the Working Group's work. Furthermore, two targeted roundtables were held with key stakeholders. These included a range of community housing providers and community housing representative organisations, who advocate on a number of issues including homelessness.
(5) The Working Group is meeting at officials level on a weekly basis.
(6) No.
(7) The Working Group's secretariat is made up of staff from both the Commonwealth Treasury and Department of Social Services. The Commonweal the Treasury has around 3 FTE staff on the working group secretariat and an SES member on the Working Group.