David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ABS published data today showing that nearly one in 200 people were homeless on census night in 2021. The data shows that 122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness at the time of the 2021 census, an increase of 6,067 people, or 5.2 per cent, since 2016. This is something that we in this place should all be concerned about. Many advocates believe that those figures are likely to be conservative, as the census was conducted at the height of the COVID lockdowns.

It's an issue around the country. Here in the ACT, we're often perceived as an affluent community, but that masks a lot of acute poverty which exists outside these walls. Canberra has the highest rate of persistent homelessness in Australia, at almost twice the national average. This is not only embarrassing but it's a shameful fact that needs addressing at the local ACT government level and through measures in this place.

At the time of the last census, we also had the highest proportion of people in supported accommodation for the homeless. In light of concerns about housing and the proposed Housing Australia Future Fund, over the next three years the ACT stands to lose the highest number of NRAS properties—the National Rental Affordability Scheme—of any electorate. More than half of our funding under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement goes straight back to the Commonwealth coffers in historic housing debt repayments. That's a debt that has been forgiven for Tasmania and South Australia.

Outside the doors of parliament, here in the ACT, more than 8,000 Canberra children are living below the poverty line. Distressingly, the data released today shows that homelessness is impacting women and young people in increasing numbers. While the number of men experiencing homelessness increased by 1.6 per cent, the number of women experiencing homelessness increased by 10.1 per cent. Nearly a quarter of all people experiencing homelessness were aged between 12 and 24 years, and we saw an increase in Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.

We have to do better; we have to do much better, and we can do better. That's why I'm pushing the government to ensure that we have more ambition in the Housing Australia Future Fund. We can't afford to let this crisis get worse, and without more action from the federal government it will. The federal government has a long history of building social and affordable housing. Under the Housing Australia Future Fund, the ACT will be lucky to get an extra 500 houses over the next five years. That's against a shortfall standing at more than 3,100. What do I say to the 2,600 households who will still be waiting after five years for somewhere to call home? What will we say to the increasing number of people who are still sleeping rough in cars, or couch surfing or on the streets in our communities?

The ACT has received none of the $3.4 billion in finance from NHFIC since it commenced operation in 2018. Let's remember that housing is not a 'nice to have', that housing is a fundamental human right—and that the blame game and buck-passing need to end. Saying, 'I know this is not enough, but it's a good start,' is, frankly not good enough. A $10 billion housing fund, while welcome, needs to go further. Putting that against the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund that was established and is doing great work, I'd argue that housing is an issue across the country that deserves more than what is being offered up by the government. There's an opportunity to do more. We can do more. It comes down to political will in this place.