Federal Housing Minister Julie Collins has introduced legislation to establish its $10 billion Housing Future Fund, which has a vision to build 30,000 social and affordable homes in its first five years. 4,000 of these homes will be dedicated to women and children escaping family and domestic violence, and older women at risk of homelessness.
YWCA Australia CEO Michelle Phillips welcomed this important step forward in addressing the housing crisis for women across Australia and is also calling for more immediate measures. “Far too many women across Australia are having difficulty accessing safe and secure housing. While today is a turning point for addressing these issues longer-term, we need solutions that meet women’s needs today. Urgent increases to funding for women’s homelessness and housing support services and investment in innovative solutions that increase supply of social and affordable housing in the short-term while these new homes are being constructed must be prioritised in the next Federal budget,” she said.
