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As consultation on the National Housing and Homelessness Plan begins, Homelessness Australia calls on the Government to set a bold ambition to end homelessness.

Homelessness Australia CEO, Kate Colvin, said Australia had the means to end homelessness but needed to pair it with conviction and ambition.

“The National Plan is an opportunity to ask the question – what is creating homelessness in Australia and what do we need to do to fix it?

“Too often Government plans simply describe a problem and include vague suggestions for possible reforms. Then they end up on the shelf, where they gather dust and effect no real change.

“Homelessness and Australia’s housing crisis are too damaging and too important to end up on the shelf.

“We know that the major drivers of adult homelessness are inadequate incomes, inadequate supply of affordable homes, domestic and family violence and racism and discrimination.

“The major driver of homelessness for children is domestic and family violence and child abuse and neglect. Family conflict and rejection as a result of homophobia and transphobia are also significant problems.

“These are all problems that are within our capacity to solve so far fewer people become homeless. With the support and housing we can make homelessness brief and rare and prevent someone falling back into it.”

In addition to calling for the Government to set an ambition to end homelessness, Homelessness Australia is also joining with First Nations leaders in calling for a separate First Nations National Housing and Homelessness Plan. A parallel First Nations Plan will enable the diversity of unique issues resulting in a ten-fold overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in homelessness to be addressed with a self-determined plan.

Children and young people without homes also face unique issues and require specialist responses that can be integrated with other services for children and young people. Homelessness Australia joins with children and youth homelessness advocates in calling for a stand-alone plan to end child and youth homelessness.

To arrange interview call Nick Lucchinelli 0422 229 032

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