Appendix: Government reforms that will affect homelessness

Several government reforms are currently under way or planned. Designed to reduce homelessness, they broadly focus on social and economic participation and prevention strategies for various population groups.

Financial Counselling Program Enhancement

To help Australians experiencing rental or mortgage stress, the Government is increasing funding for financial counselling services. Funding for Centrelink's Financial Information Service will be increased by $10 million over four years, and funding for the Commonwealth Financial Counselling program will be doubled, bringing it to $10 million over four years. This funding is aimed at impro ving financial literacy and management skills in the community, particularly in those areas with little or no access to financial counselling services. The extra funds will be used for practical tools and resources to provide individuals and families with support and information to better manage their personal financial affairs, including coping with increased mortgage payments.²²⁸

Australia’s Future Tax System

In the 2008-09 Federal Budget, the Government announced that it will undertake a review of Australia’s taxation system. The review will be broad ranging and cover taxes levied by the Australian Government and the States. A complete Australian tax review, including State taxes, has not been undertaken for over 50 years.

The review will consider:

the balance of taxes on work, investment and consumption and the role for environmental taxes
further improvements to the tax and transfer system facing individuals, working families and retirees
the taxation of savings, assets and investments, including the role and structure of company taxation
the taxation of consumption (except GST) and property and other state taxes
simplifying the tax system, including across the Australian Federation
interrelationships between these systems as well as the proposed emissions trading system.
the review will release an initial discussion paper by the end of July 2008 and will provide a final report to the Treasurer by the end of 2009.²²⁹

National housing initiatives

The Australian Government takes housing affordability very seriously and is implementing a range of new initiatives, including:

a Housing Affordability Fund to lower the cost of building new homes by working with other levels of government, particularly local government, to reform infrastructure and planning requirements
a National Rental Affordability Scheme to increase the supply of affordable rental dwellings by up to 100,000. Rent for these properties will be charged at 20 per cent below the market rate for eligible tenants
increasing the supply of land for housing by releasing surplus Commonwealth land for residential and community development
a National Housing Supply Council to improve the evidence base for housing policy development by providing research, forecasts and advice to government on issues such as the adequacy of housing and land supply to meet future housing needs
First Home Saver Accounts to help potential first home buyers to save a bigger deposit through superannuation-style, low-tax savings accounts.

National Child Protection Framework (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Attorney-General’s Department)

The Australian Government is developing a national child protection framework, recognising that the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children is essential.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, is now leading an important consultation process which involves state and territory governments and the child protection sector to develop a practical, action-focused framework that will make a positive and real difference to children’s lives.

The development of the framework is built around:

a stronger prevention focus
more integration and collaboration
improving responses for children in care and leaving care
improving responses for Indigenous children
attracting and retaining the right workforce
improving child protection systems.

The specific impact on homelessness will be in the preventative aspects of improving the responses for young people leaving care, and building the resilience of all children at risk.

Employment Services Review
(Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations)

An Employment Services Review has examined concerns with the current employment services’ system, including:

issues of red tape hampering innovation and client services
a ‘work first’ approach that can be too narrow and prevents access to training and developing new skills
an ineffective and counter productive compliance regime
a review of the Government’s employment service contracts to ensure that providers are able to focus on their clients and not paperwork.

In relation to homelessness, the review looked at the effects of the compliance regime and whether it is possible to provide greater flexibility to take account of a person’s individual circumstances.

Outcomes and recommendations of the review of employment services have been announced as part of the Budget in May 2008.

National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy
(Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs)

The National Mental Health and Disability Employment Strategy will include clear and practical steps to overcoming barriers that people face in gaining and keeping employment. This strategy is a major element of the Government’s social inclusion and productivity agendas.

There are over 700,000 people on Disability Support Pension and the strategy will provide assistance to ensure those who can work are working, and that those who cannot work are adequately supported. The strategy will be developed in close consultation with people with disabilities, people with a mental illness, employers, employment service providers, peak bodies, state and territory governments and other experts.

In relation to homelessness, the strategy will identify ways to help people either gain employment or receive appropriate benefits, so they can more easily access and remain in housing and build up better connections within their community.

A discussion paper calling for submissions was released on 14 April 2008, with contributions closing on 30 June 2008. Following the consultations, a detailed strategy will be developed for release later in 2008.

Supported Accommodation for People with Disabilities (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs)

The Australian Government has announced an extra $100 million in capital funding for supported accommodation delivered by the states and territories. The funding is for up to 35 new accommodation facilities, housing up to six people each.

The new facilities are for people with a disability who do not have appropriate accommodation.The package also responds to concerns that older carers often have about the future accommodation support needs of their children with disabilities. Assisting people with a disability who have to move out of the family home, this initiative will help give many older carers peace of mind about their childrens’ future.

The ongoing operation of the new accommodation facilities is assured, with the transfer of $900 million into the new Commonwealth, State and Territory Disability Agreement, which is currently being renegotiated. The $100 million investment is a small but important step in addressing unmet demand and supporting carers, allowing them to plan for the future care and dignity of family members with a disability.

Indigenous housing measures and other initiatives to reduce family violence

For 2007–08, the Australian Government has $404.5 million appropriated for Indigenous housing and infrastructure. As well, $96 million is available through the Aboriginal Rental Housing Program, which is a tied program under the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement.

State and territory governments also contribute funds for Indigenous housing. Most States and Territories’ Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Agreement’s Annual Indigenous Housing Plans have strategies which can address Indigenous homelessness in the context of overcrowding and inadequate housing.

The Australian Government is providing $813 million for the years to 2010-11 for Indigenous housing and infrastructure in the Northern Territory. On 12 April 2008 the Australian Government and Northern Territory Government jointly announced the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program. This program will use $547 million of the $813 million to provide Indigenous housing and related services in the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory Government is also providing $100 million. Under the program, capital works in the 73 targeted communities and urban living areas will improve the living conditions of up to 80 per cent of Indigenous people in the communities.

Capital works include:

around 750 new houses, including new subdivisions
over 230 new houses to replace houses to be demolished
over 2,500 housing upgrades
essential infrastructure to support new houses
improvements to living conditions in town camps.

Of the $647million, $420 million will be used in 16 high-need communities for major works of new and replacement houses and refurbishments to existing dwellings. More than $124 million will go on refurbishments in another 57 communities. A further $98 million will help to improve town camps and urban living areas, and $5 million will be spent on a small number of existing housing programs.

In April 2008, $647 million in Australian Government and Northern Territory Government funding was made available for Indigenous housing and related services in the Northern Territory. The living conditions of up to 80 per cent of Indigenous people will be improved through capital works that will now go ahead in 73 targeted communities.

National Council on Violence Against Women and Children (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs)

The Government’s National Council on Violence Against Women and Children is developing a National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children. The plan will provide a national strategic framework for identifying gaps and delivering responses to domestic and family violence and sexual assault. Homelessness will be one of the important factors under consideration. The national plan already includes:

$1 million over four years for White Ribbon Day education activities in rural and regional areas, which started in March 2008
a Respectful Relationships campaign—the Stage 1 resource kit for high school students was distributed in Term 2, 2008
work with the states and territories to develop tougher and nationally consistent domestic violence and sexual assault laws and best practice
$500,000 to boost the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Homicide Monitoring Program
$200,000 for research into international best practice models for working with perpetrators of violence, with a contract of work to be let in July 2008
$150 million to build 600 extra houses to for homeless people, including women and children escaping domestic violence.

In May and June 2008, consultations with a wide range of service providers, program managers and policy makers are taking place. Consultations will also be held with victims and survivors of domestic and family violence and sexual assault, as well as with perpetrators.

The Australian Government has started the process necessary for Australia to become a party to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The Government will also continue to spend around $15 million each year under the Women’s Safety Agenda to take a lead role in eliminating domestic violence and sexual assault in the Australian community.

Initiatives that address domestic violence or provide support services to women escaping abuse are significant in preventing homelessness and in assisting victims to re-establish safe and secure accommodation and links to the community.

National Mental Health Reform

The Australian Government is committed to building on a whole-of-government approach to further mental health reform nationally. Identified priorities for mental health include:

placing mental health firmly on the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) agenda
working with the states and territories on an integrated national approach to service delivery
undertaking an evidence-based approach which re-orients mental health policy towards prevention and early intervention
ensuring mental health services are well integrated with other primary care and specialist services, for example through general practitioner ‘super clinics’
developing an open, transparent system of evaluation and accountability of existing mental health services.

The COAG National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011 has contributed to building on a whole-of-government approach to mental health reform. The whole-of-government approach is further being strengthened in partnership with the states and territories under the National Mental Health Strategy. The strategy, endorsed by all Australian Health Ministers in April 1992, is a commitment to improving the lives of people with a mental illness. Elements of the strategy that are currently under review include:

the National Mental Health Policy 1992—being revised to align it with a whole-of-government approach
National Mental Health Plan 2003-08—being evaluated with results to contribute to informing consideration of a potential future mental health plan
National Standards for Mental Health Services—being reviewed to reflect current practices and broaden their application
new Australian Health Care Agreements, which have been used to fund the mental health reform activities—being negotiated for consideration by COAG in December 2008 and to start on 1 July 2009.

The Australian Government’s progress on mental health reform includes refocusing the Access to Allied Psychological Services component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Program. This is to help ensure a more targeted approach to providing psychological therapies.

The aim is to address service gaps, particularly in communities not well serviced by private Medicare-eligible services, as well as vulnerable population groups such as people at risk of homelessness or suicide and Indigenous people.

The Australian Government has also identified peri-natal depression as an important issue for many Australian women and their families. Announced before the 2007 election, the new $85 million plan aims to reduce the impact and prevalence of this condition.

On 28 March 2007, the Senate established a new Inquiry into Mental Health Services, convened by the Community Affairs Committee. The inquiry is expected to focus on progress since July 2006 in providing community-based mental health services. The committee will report by 26 June 2008. Establishing the National Advisory Council on Mental Health, also announced before the 2007 election, will provide expert, independent and balanced advice to the Australian Government on mental health issues, including improvements to the coordination of existing mental health programs.

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