Deputy Speaker,

The Albanese Labor Government recognises the deep and systemic challenges around homelessness throughout our nation.

We’re serious about our plan to deal with homelessness and housing insecurity, a growing crisis in this nation.

Few things can be as daunting as a lack of certainty around where you’ll sleep at night.

We know that homelessness takes many different forms – whether it’s sleeping rough, couch surfing, living in your car, or bouncing between temporary accommodation.

We also know that there are many other challenges around housing – including affordability, quality, and overcrowding.

This is a particularly big problem in the Territory.

The Federal Government is committed to engaging across the sector.

It’s why we’ve elevated the Housing and Homelessness portfolios back into Cabinet.

I know how serious a problem homelessness is from my time as the NT CEO of St Vinnies.

I also took part in the St Vinnies CEO sleepout recently in Darwin.

The profoundly negative impacts of homelessness are obvious – it robs far too many of people in our communities of the stability and security needed to flourish and thrive.

We can’t let these issues fester unaddressed.

We can’t allow more vulnerable people in our community to fall through the cracks.

We see certain groups overrepresented far too often – whether it’s people fleeing domestic violence, young people, people with disabilities or mental health issues, veterans, the elderly, or people who straddle several of these.

As a Territorian, I also welcome the $200 million committed to works in remote Aboriginal communities. 

The problems around quality of housing in remote communities means that First Nations people are often living in overcrowded conditions, with 20 people living in a three-bedroom house.

There are then knock-on problems with health and sanitation, and disruption to kids’ sleep and schooling. 

It also places a bigger reliance on the public housing in Darwin, which is already strained.

In the NT, we have wonderful organisations working in this space, such as Yilli Rreung Housing.

Yilli manage 246 properties and have 40 staff helping to provide housing, meaning more families have certainty around where they live and sleep.

I’m also very committed to veterans and our first responders who face housing insecurity.

That’s why I was proud to secure $3 million for a veterans and first responders supported housing hub in Darwin.

The Scott Palmer Services Centre, named for Commando Scott Palmer, the only Territorian killed in Afghanistan, will be focussed on counselling services, family support and recreation facilities for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The primary goal is to assist veterans to secure permanent accommodation in social housing or in the private rental market.

The evidence at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide points to a need for this supported accommodation with case management and referrals to DVA and organisations such as Open Arms, health professionals and employment services.

This will save lives.

The Albanese Government believes that every Australian should have the right to affordable housing.

I’m proud that we’ve committed $10 billion for the Housing Australia Future Fund to build more affordable housing.

And I’m very proud that the actions and policies of the Albanese Labor Government will help tackle the challenges around homelessness and housing insecurity.

One of the examples of this is our commitment to implementing our Help to Buy policy.

Housing in Australia is more unaffordable for ever.

Help to Buy will be open to 10,000 applicants per year, meaning more people will be able to access a housing market which has been increasingly inaccessible to people who aren’t already in it.

We need to do everything we can to ensure all Australians have a roof over their heads.

I commend the Member for MacNamara for bringing forward this motion.