2016-04-13
The Australian Greens have announced a plan to double Federal funding to frontline homelessness services, by using a portion of the revenue raised through changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax exemption.
Making the announcement on Youth Homelessness Matters Day, the Greens say the plan would deliver $1.1billion each year for the next ten years to meet surging demand from people experiencing homelessness.
Each year 1,500 frontline services offer shelter to 256,000 people across Australia, but 119,000 people in need are turned away.
Greens co-deputy leader and spokesperson on housing, Senator for WA Scott Ludlam, said the Turnbull Government should overturn the Abbott Government’s cruel cuts to our most vulnerable people.
“It’s important to remember that these numbers represent real people, a vast number of them children under nine years old, whose last resort is to sleep in a car,” he said.
“Today on Youth Homelessness Matters Day, many young people are sleeping rough, or on someone’s couch, which shouldn’t be happening in our wealthy nation.”
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said many services were driven to the brink of closure last year when the Abbott Government refused to provide funding certainty under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness.
“It beggars belief that this cruel Liberal government continues to prop up the rich end of town with tax cuts and subsidies, but when it comes to the essential human right of a safe place to sleep each night, they turn their backs,” he said.
The Greens’ Homeless Services Action Plan is attached.
Youth homelessness stats:
· 42% of Australia’s homeless population is under 25 years old
· 17% are under 12 (ABS census 2011)
· 60% of Australia’s homeless population is under 35.
· There are 26,000 young homeless Australians between 12-25 years old
· 41,780 young people aged 15-24 approached specialist homelessness agencies alone, with over half of them (52%) homeless
· Domestic and family violence or housing crisis remain the most common main reasons why young people presenting alone are seeking assistance.
· Over a third (39%) of the homeless youth surveyed reported police coming to their home because of violence between parents on one or more occasions, with 14% experiencing police coming to their house more than 10 times Mission Australia – The Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia study)
· When seeking services, the need for emergency accommodation went unmet in almost 40% of cases, and less than 5% were able to access long term accommodation
· Other services commonly identified by young homeless people went unmet in about one in four cases (20% for those who identified needs for education, 26% for employment and 27% for training assistance).
· 70% left home to escape family violence, child abuse or family breakdown.
· Specialist homeless services assisted 45,000 requests from 15-24yos in 2012-13, 63% were female
· Youth homelessness is notoriously invisible and undercounted – many are couch surfing, many not accessing services
· There are 2279 homeless youth aged 12-24 in WA (20% of the entire homeless population) (ABS).
Capital Gains tax initiative
http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/greens-phase-out-capital-gains-discount-2020
Negative Gearing announcement
http://scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au/campaigns/reforming-negative-gearing
greens_homelessness_services_boost_initiative_-_2016_final.pdf