Developing the National Housing and Homelessness Plan
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About the National Housing and Homelessness Plan
To help more Australians access safe and affordable housing, the Australian Government is developing a National Housing and Homelessness Plan (the Plan) in collaboration with state and territory governments. The Plan will be a 10-year strategy. It will set out a shared vision to inform future housing and homelessness policy in Australia.
The Plan will set out the key short, medium and longer term reforms needed to address housing challenges.
Why is it important?
The Australian Government understands access to secure and affordable housing has significant social, economic and personal benefits.
The development of the Plan recognises long-standing calls from states and territories, as well as other key stakeholders, for a national plan to help more Australians access safe and affordable housing.
The Plan will provide a better understanding of the current state of housing and homelessness in Australia and the drivers of homelessness and housing insecurity throughout urban, regional, rural and remote Australia.
Most importantly, the Plan will set out strategies for how all levels of government can work together and with the private and community sector to better support people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
The Plan is a key part of the Government’s ambitious reform agenda which also includes:
- a 15% increase to the maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance to assist low-income renters
- the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, the single biggest investment in social and affordable housing by a Federal Government in more than a decade, which will support the delivery of 30,000 social and affordable homes in its first 5 years
- a National Housing Accord (Accord), setting out a shared ambition to build one million new, well-located homes over 5 years from 2024
- an additional $350 million over 5 years from 2024-25 to support funding of 10,000 affordable homes under the Accord
- providing tax incentives to support build-to-rent developments to reduce barriers to new supply in the private rental market
- increasing the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation’s (NHFIC) liability cap by an additional $2 billion. This will allow NHFIC to provide more loans to community housing providers for social and affordable housing, supporting around an additional 7,000 dwellings
- widening the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, making up to $575 million available to invest immediately in social and affordable rental homes
- expanding eligibility for the Home Guarantee Scheme to help more people buy a home sooner
- offering states and territories an additional $67.5 million to address homelessness as part of a one year extension to the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement
- a $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator payment to State and Territory Governments, which will create thousands of homes for Australians on social housing waiting lists.
Who we are working with
The Plan is being developed in collaboration with key stakeholders including state and territory governments, local government, not-for-profit and civil society organisations, industry bodies, superannuation funds and other experts in housing, finance and urban development.
It will involve broad public consultation, including with people with lived experience.
The Plan will be informed by advice provided by the newly established National Housing Supply and Affordability Council.
Opportunities to have your say
Issues Paper
The Australian Government has released an Issues Paper on Housing and Homelessness in Australia. The Issues Paper provides a brief overview of some of the known issues in different parts of the housing and homelessness systems and poses a series of discussion questions. You are invited to share your ideas and experiences by either responding to guided, short-form questions or lodging a written submission.
When making a submission or completing the short-form questions, we suggest you refer to the Issues Paper. The Issues Paper contains questions for consideration against each of the focus areas that you might like to think about when making your submission. A summary paper is also available, including versions in Auslan and Easy Read.
The submission period for the Plan has been extended. Responses to the Issues Paper now close at 11.59PM AEST Friday, 20 October 2023.
Public Consultations
There will be opportunities for members of the public to attend face-to-face community events in each State and Territory, commencing on Monday, 28 August 2023.
To register for one of these events, please view the consultation schedule. This schedule will be updated as new locations are added.
For those unable to attend a face-to-face event, there will be two online webinars open to the public.
If you require support
If you or someone you know, is in immediate danger, please call 000.
If you or someone you know needs help or support at any time, we encourage you to contact one of the services listed on our Help and Support page.
Subscribe for updates
Subscribe below for updates on consultation opportunities and to receive information about the progress of the Plan. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
Email Address *
Contact
National Housing and Homelessness Plan Team
Email: HousingandHomelessnessPlan@dss.gov.au
Media Enquiries
For any media enquiries, please contact media@dss.gov.au.