One of the real success stories of the past year was what was done to help thousands of desperate Aussies sleeping rough in our parks and streets.
At the height of the pandemic, 40,000 people who were sleeping rough, couch surfing or in shelters were provided with a bed in one of the many empty motel and hotel rooms in our big cities.
This shows that, if we really want to, we can significantly reduce the number of homeless Aussies sleeping rough.
Today a report from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Council of Social Service revealed only a third of people placed in temporary accommodation have moved into permanent accommodation and many are back on the street.
Back in July last year, Labor called on the National Cabinet to make sure that the homeless Aussies we helped at the height of the pandemic were not thrown back on the street.
The Prime Minister ignored our pleas and this is exactly what has happened.
Labor has also called on the Morrison Government to repair and build more social housing, with a recent report from the Productivity Commission revealing there are fewer public housing dwellings in Australia now than there were ten years ago.
Despite spending $100 billion on infrastructure in the Budget, the Prime Minister couldn’t find one extra cent for social housing.
With more Australians homeless than ever before, it’s time for the Morrison Government to take action.
THURSDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2021
MEDIA CONTACTS:
ARLEY BLACK (CLARE) 02 9790 2466
