Government’s homelessness funding boost claims overblown, advocates say

The Albanese government has talked up its commitment to boosting homelessness support. Advocates say no additional funding has gone into homelessness since it came to power, leaving women fleeing domestic violence at risk.

Homelessness funding hasn’t increased during the life of the Albanese government, advocates say, leaving women fleeing domestic violence vulnerable.

The Albanese government has not increased homelessness funding since it came to power despite claims it was pouring hundreds of millions more into the pressing social problem, leaving women fleeing domestic violence at heightened risk, advocacy groups warn.

An analysis of budget funding commitments shows federal money for two homelessness programs, touted as increases, merely took funding to what had been spent in previous budgets, they say.

But the government insists more money has been allocated to homeless programs as part of the $9.3bn National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness.

Homelessness Australia says despite the government’s claim in the 2024 budget that NASHH had been boosted by an additional $423m, that funding only reversed a previously announced cut in the forward estimates and was not an increase on money actually spent this financial year.

And the other commitment in the budget to double commonwealth homelessness funding to $400m each year, to be matched by the states and territories under a federal agreement, was simply a recognition of current arrangements, they say, as the states were already contributing more than $400m each year.

“While over the life of the government there has been additional investment in social housing and temporary resources have been made permanent, the overall funding to homelessness services hasn’t increased,” Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin said.

“Officials in Senate estimates revealed the claimed doubling of the portion of the agreement to be spent on homelessness programs was in fact just a formalisation of what is already happening at the state level.

“Homelessness services are turning away 295 people a day, 80 per cent of them women and children. It’s difficult without additional investment to meet the needs of this growing number who need support.

Homelessness Australia chief executive Kate Colvin.

“With all the focus on women and children fleeing family and domestic violence, many are becoming homeless … so there is an urgent need for more support for them.”

Safe and Equal CEO Tania Farha said support workers were “overwhelmed with need, and every day women are exiting violence into homelessness”.

“Without housing, victim-survivors cannot focus on safety and recovery, and many are forced to make an impossible choice between homelessness and abuse,” Ms Farha said.

Federal Housing and Homelessness Minister Julie Collins said “too many Australians don’t have a safe and affordable place to call home” and the government was spending $32bn on new housing initiatives.

“This includes the new $9.3bn National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness, with a doubling of commonwealth homelessness funding to $400m every year (for five years), matched by states and territories,” Ms Collins said.