Submission: Inquiry into Homelessness

Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs: Inquiry into Homelessness

Everyone deserves a home. Housing is the basis from which we ensure our communities’ well-being. This is not simply about the material, physical and structural protections housing provides, but also a sense of home and belonging within a wider community. The Australian housing system, and in particular the private rental market, has failed to ensure everyone has access to safe, secure, affordable housing. This failure increases both the risk of homelessness for vulnerable renting households, and the barriers to people developing a pathway out of homelessness.

We focus on the insufficient protections and supports provided for people who rent their homes, particularly in the private rental market. This submission outlines a range of policy and legislative reforms to our rental housing system/s to address two key issues in the private rental market, that of insecurity and a lack of safe, liveable homes that are affordable for those on low or very low incomes. It also establishes the need for an increase in funding to adequately resource supports and systemic advocacy for people who rent their homes.