Shelter NSW has joined our national peak body, National Shelter, and other housing and homelessness bodies around the country in strongly welcoming the agreement between Labor, the Greens and Cross bench to pass laws that establish the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).

As announced by the Federal Government this week the package of laws will establish:

• the $10 billion HAFF, creating a pipeline of funding for social and affordable rental housing
• the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council as an independent statutory advisory body to plan the delivery of new social and affordable housing
• Housing Australia as the national housing agency..

As a result of the agreement there will be an additional $1 billion invested in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support new homes.

The HAAF is projected to:

• help the Government deliver on its commitment of 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in its first five years, including 4,000 homes for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence or older women at risk of homelessness
• set aside $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities
• set aside $100 million for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness
• set aside $30 million to build housing for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at‑risk of homelessness.

“We are pleased to see an agreement between the Government and the Greens. The Crossbench and the Greens have strengthened the Bills and enhanced the responses to housing for those in need. We must now turn our attention to the development of a coordinated National Housing and Homelessness Plan to provide a clear blueprint for solving the housing crisis.”

Emma Greenhalgh, CEO of National Shelter

The passage of the HAFF is included in a broader plan for the Federal Government to see an additional 1.2 million homes across Australia over the next 5 years. Shelter NSW understands that NSW will carry a target of 376,000 dwellings. Putting aside all discussion about how the required supply can actually be delivered, we at Shelter NSW will continue to encourage Governments to enthusiastically step back into the social housing arena, as funders and developers, to restore the social housing safety net especially as the population grows and income and wealth inequality persists.