Homelessness and domestic violence bodies are pushing the federal government to commit at least $10 billion of extra funding into social and affordable housing to match “phenomenal demand”.
The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) was announced by Labor in 2023, with a commitment to help deliver 55,000 social and affordable homes by mid‑2029.
About 6,000 social and affordable homes have been delivered since May 2022, according to the latest figures provided by the Treasury.
The ABC understands most homes “delivered” are new, but some are existing properties that have been repurposed.
Head of Homelessness Australia Kate Colvin said the government should invest billions more in the HAFF to resolve “blockages right across the accommodation and housing pipeline for women and children fleeing family violence”.
Homelessness Australia wants greater investment in social housing. (ABC News: Melbourne)
She said the need for social housing and short-term crisis accommodation was far outstripping availability.
“One in four women and children fleeing family violence who come to homeless services are missing out on crisis accommodation,” Ms Colvin said.
“More than half of the families who come seeking medium-term accommodation miss out and a far greater proportion of people who need long-term accommodation.”
The body wants social housing to make up at least 6 per cent of all housing, with an aspiration to reach 10 per cent.
Kate Colvin says women and children are missing out. (ABC News: Tyrone Dalton)
“So that would require more than doubling the HAFF,” Ms Colvin said.
The latest government data shows that around 4 per cent of all households in Australia are social housing.
Providers under pressure to do more with less
The head of Marymead CatholicCare Canberra and Goulburn, Anne Kirwan, said her not-for-profit had been able to access the HAFF’s $100 million crisis accommodation program to purchase seven homes in the ACT.
She also wants to see a doubling of the total HAFF allocation.
If you or anyone you know needs help:Police — 000 (Triple Zero)Women’s Crisis Line: 1800 811 811Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578
“We reflect upon that they released $10 billion [in 2023] and then weeks later they released $360 billion for the submarines. So that’s a good comparison point to say there is money in the federal government and it’s about where the priorities are.”
She said there was increasing pressure to do more with less.
“And there’s the starvation cycle, which is an international phenomenon impacting all charities where there’s less and less money, but a requirement and a need to do more,” she said.
Anne Kirwan says the federal government is prioritising other things over safe housing. (ABC News)
Victoria’s Safe and Equal, the state’s peak body for specialist family violence services, is also calling for more crisis accommodation.
Marina Carman, the executive director for prevention, advocacy and social change at Safe and Equal, said while she understood the difficult economic context surrounding the budget, demand from victim-survivors could not be ignored.
“Unaddressed family violence really costs lives, creates profound harm and creates economic costs over the longer term,” Ms Caman said.
“We aren’t aware of any major funding uplifts to come in this federal budget, and we are really worried.”
A spokesperson said the federal government had invested “more than any government ever in tackling family, domestic and sexual violence”.
“We don’t pre-empt the budget process,” they said.
Pocock says crisis requires ‘continuous focus’
Independent senator for the ACT David Pocock said while he believed the HAFF was a “great step” from government, investment needed to match growing demand.
“I think with the HAFF, you could be quadrupling it, is what I’m hearing from the sector,” Senator Pocock said.
“When it comes to the $100 million [for crisis accommodation funding], we need more money.”
David Pocock says the issue of domestic and family violence is not going away. (Australian Story: Matt Roberts)
The crossbencher has also urged the government to stay the course on delivering on its National Plan to End Domestic Violence against Women and Children, as the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a national rise in family and domestic violence cases nationally.
“If we are going to actually end family domestic violence in a generation, it’s going to need continuous focus and effort,” Senator Pocock said.
“And if you look at something like the war in Iran and the impact that that’s having on households across the country, with interest rates going up, people paying more on their mortgage, renters probably going to have to pay more … pressure that has on families, and we know that pressure results in more family and domestic violence.
“This is all connected.”
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