Together Home funding welcome relief for people experiencing homelessness
CHIA NSW today welcomed the NSW Government’s commitment to homelessness funding in the upcoming NSW Budget and again called for more social housing to keep people in NSW housed during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
CHIA NSW CEO Mark Degotardi said the announcement today that the NSW Government will provide an additional $29 million for its Together Home program recognised the importance of providing people who are homeless with a safe and secure home.
“In short, housing ends homelessness so any program that will get people experiencing homelessness into a safe, secure home is very welcome,” Mr Degotardi said.
“The extension of the program announced today will bring the total investment in the Together Home project to $65 million, by securing private rentals and funding the supports people need to stay housed,” Mr Degardi said.
“The next step must be ongoing investment in a major social housing building program in partnership with community housing providers so we can ensure people at risk of homelessness across NSW have access to housing they can afford.”
Mr Degotardi said with homelessness across NSW set to increase by 24% by July 2021, and another 88,000 families expected to experience rent and housing stress, large scale investment was needed in next month’s NSW Budget.
CHIA NSW has called for an additional 5,000 new social housing properties a year over the next decade to address the chronic shortage of social housing in NSW.
Based on modelling by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC)[1] an annual $1.5 billion investment would support 13,500 jobs across the state, creating employment and alleviating housing stress.
“Our state already has a significant undersupply of social housing and one of the least affordable rental housing markets in the world,” Mr Degotardi said.
“Jobs losses as a result of COVID-19 are predicted to create a wave of new housing stress and homelessness. We are hoping this Budget provides the capital funding that provides the homes and jobs local communities urgently need.”
Media contact: Jenny Stokes 0478504280