Five reasons to be hopeful this year: Homelessness Week 2024

I spend a lot of my professional life telling people what the problems are in housing insecurity. 

Homelessness is on the rise. The cost of living pressures are increasing as is our housing crisis. Even with interest rate rises, housing prices continue to climb. Australia still has two of the top ten most unaffordable housing markets in the world.

Now that those headlines are out of the way, here are a few reasons to feel hopeful, as well as some actions you can take if you want to shift the dial on homelessness in Australia.
 

1. Safe at Home

A woman leaving family violence needs to feel safe and empowered. After about four years of research supported by philanthropy, McAuley Community Services for Women is trialling a family violence approach that will allow women and children to remain safe in their own home, rather than moving them into temporary hotel accommodation or hiding them in refuges. 

As part of the Women’s Safety Package announced after the recent budget, the Victorian Government has confirmed its financial commitment to a trial that allows women agency over their physical space, even if that involves staying in their home. 

Read more about Safe at Home. 
 

2. Home of your Own

Another way women and children are staying safely housed is through changes to the rental laws in Victoria. 

Justice Connect is empowering women to use these recent changes through a digital tool called Home of your Own.  This tool helps renters write a personalised letter to their landlord about their safety and privacy needs as well as get targeted pathways to additional legal, housing, financial and family violence support.

While we should celebrate positive changes that give renters more rights, these rights are often ineffective if we don’t give people a way to use them which is why the tool is being widely shared to raise awareness about these important rights that allow women to take action to safely avoid homelessness.
 

3. Make Room

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has worked to build affordable housing on underutilised land for almost a decade through our Affordable Housing Challenge.

The idea behind Make Room started before the pandemic; to create housing through an underutilised building in partnership with the City of Melbourne. Make Room now involves a number of philanthropic and government partners, including Unison Housing, cohealth and the Victorian Government. 

Tenanting of Make Room is expected to start before the end of the year, and will provide 50 self-contained apartments, alongside a range of communal areas and multidisciplinary on-site support.

The supported transitional housing model will provide a pathway to long-term housing in the heart of the city.
 

4. Housing as a Human Right

A private member’s bill was recently introduced in both houses of Parliament. The proposed legislation aims to establish a human rights-based approach to housing, mandating the Commonwealth Government to develop and maintain a 10-year National Housing and Homelessness Plan to ensure adequate housing for all Australians.

The bill sends a clear message to the Government that its forthcoming Plan needs to be based on the international obligations it has already ratified. 

The Bill is based on the work of Chris Martin from UNSW – here is an overview, or you can read the full report.  Even better, write a submission, even a brief one.  Submissions close 9 August.

The bill is available here and the Explanatory Statement here. 

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation submission to the National Housing and Homelessness Plan can be found here.
 

5. Home Time

Australia should not accept the high number of young people experiencing homelessness. If we don’t ensure the right supports are in place for children and young people today, then we are potentially robbing them of opportunities to thrive in the future. 
 
The Home Time campaign, driven by Melbourne City Mission, is a broad community coalition, that brings together a diverse group of over 150 peak bodies, community organisations, unions, universities, industry leaders and individuals around high-level policy asks to unlock Australia’s housing system for young people.

The campaign advocates for a more focused resourcing of homelessness services so that children and young people can get housed quickly and permanently. 

I’d urge you to read more and donate directly.   


Written by Erin Dolan, Senior Program Manager - Homelessness & Affordable Housing.