Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Access to safe, secure and affordable housing is one of the most fundamental foundations of a fair society. It is not simply about shelter but about dignity, stability, opportunity and wellbeing. When people have a secure place to call home, children can focus on learning. Parents can focus on work and caring, and individuals can plan for the future with confidence. When housing is unstable or out of reach, it affects every part of our life—health, education, employment and mental wellbeing. We know there is a housing crisis in this country. For too many, particularly young Australians, they have found themselves locked out of the market. Rents have risen. Supply has fallen. And for many the dream of homeownership has felt increasingly distant.

This is why this government has an ambitious housing agenda, the most ambitious that we've seen for generations. It is why we see housing as one of our central priorities—investing in social and affordable housing, boosting supply, working with the states and territories on planning reform and recognising housing as essential national infrastructure. Through the Labor government's Housing Australia Future Fund, we are delivering thousands of new homes across the country, with more than 5,000 social and affordable homes completed or underway and more than 25,000 in construction and planning. This is part of our broader commitment to deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes for the Australians who need them most. A roof over your head should never be a privilege. It should be an expectation for all Australians.

Locally, I'm proud to see the Albanese government backing major projects that will deliver—and are already delivering—new social and affordable homes in Melbourne's north-west. In December of last year, I welcomed Minister O'Neil to Kensington in the southern part of my electorate to see firsthand the successful completion of a new housing project as part of the Swift Walk redevelopment. This massive injection of housing into our local community, the largest that Housing Australia Future Fund has completed to date, has delivered 362 new homes, including 272 social and affordable homes. For locals in Kensington and the surrounding suburbs, moving into Swift Walk has meant leaving behind long-term overcrowding and finally having a space of their own.

Thangjam and Kristine and their new baby have just moved into their new home in Swift Walk, a fantastic two-bedroom unit. The minister and I got to say g'day to them. Before, Thangjam and Kristine were living in shared accommodation with nine others. They were making the best of it, but, as their family was due to expand, it was clear this was not the environment that would have given them the best chance at living their most settled and successful life. Now, they have a place to call theirs, a place to create memories, opportunities and stability for their beautiful new family. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for welcoming both the minister and me into their new home. It was such a delight to see them settling in and thinking about the future that they have for them and their young child.

Stories like this remind us that housing is not just policy; it has real life impacts. It's not abstract; it's about families finally having a space to breathe; children having a quiet place to sleep, to play, to study; and parents feeling the relief that comes with security. It's about dignity. While local projects make a powerful difference, they sit within a broader national effort to address decades of underinvestment in housing supply. The Albanese government's reforms recognise that housing is essential to economic participation, social wellbeing and equality of opportunity. For young people especially, access to secure homes shapes the entire course of their lives. They can pursue education, build savings and start families of their own and remain connected to their communities.

When we allow housing insecurity to become the norm, we entrench disadvantage. But, when we invest in affordable, accessible homes, we open doors to stability and to a fairer future. Addressing Australia's housing challenge will not happen overnight. It requires sustained effort, cooperation across governments and a willingness to treat housing as a public good, not just as a market commodity. Every Australian deserves the dignity of a safe home, and, when we strengthen housing security, we strengthen the nation itself.

House adjourned at 17:00

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Boyce ) took the chair at 09:30.