When will a government be brave enough at budget time, to comprehensively address the major challenges of our times?
While we welcome the announcement of a $2 billion increase in the National Housing and
Investment Corporation liability guarantee cap as part of the budget. This takes a step toward the ability to bring together capital and capability for more affordable homes.
It in no way comes near the $290 billion needed over the next two decades, identified in the independent review by Chris Leptos, and the many evidence-based reports on rising homelessness figures.
Rose Thomson, CEO of the Faith Housing Alliance, said in response to the budget,
“With widening poverty and equity gaps, an escalating housing crisis, and the impacts of climate change – this budget offered an opportunity for a commitment to a national housing plan and relevant infrastructure needs, and commitments across health and education to narrow equity gaps”.
Immediacy of cash handouts is important for those currently suffering.
With escalating living costs and impacts of natural disasters, when that’s gone the problems remain, and then what?
We encourage the government to take a courageous, bold, and visionary stance to fund our Nation – to care for its people, its economy, its security, and a sustainable future.
So disappointing for those who currently do not have an adequate roof over their head who live in poverty, fear, health challenges and insecurity.
We await with interest the NSW budget in June.
We anticipate they have ‘listened’ and will provide a fair and equitable budget to address these issues.
Matthew Desmond, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, where he is also the principal investigator of the Eviction Lab says,
“We can start with housing, the sturdiest of footholds for economic mobility. A national
affordable housing program would be an anti-poverty effort, human capital investment,
community improvement plan, and public health initiative all rolled into one.”
We encourage the NSW State Government to lead the way in the absence of federal
foresight!
