Within this spectrum, the Commonwealth has set several immediate priorities: this expanded coverage is generally welcome, but it does not meet the requirements of a national housing strategy. This means that many national policies that have a huge impact on housing demand and costs – such as taxes on residential investment, immigration levels and tenant income support – remain outside the influence of the agreement. Such measures also strongly influence the prospects for reducing housing stress. Housing and homelessness policy in Australia comes at a critical juncture. Housing stress has reached historic highs, there is a severe shortage of social housing and a growing number of low-income households are excluded from the private rental market. In this context, the federal government is developing a new National Housing and Care Agreement (NHHA) that will replace existing national agreements, which make funds available to state and territorial governments for housing and homelessness programs. The NHHA`s overall goal is to improve housing opportunities for low-income people and fund services for the homeless. It is a multilateral agreement between the Commonwealth and the states and territories, supported by separate bilateral agreements with each jurisdiction. Despite these concerns, society remains optimistic about the establishment of a sustainable, comprehensive and coordinated national agreement. For too long, state action against housing and homelessness has been ad hoc and is constantly blamed between different levels of government. It can`t go on like this.

The form of this new national agreement is of the utmost importance and it is essential that we resolve the problems identified in the current bill and re-elect the legislative bases. While there are positive orientations in the new agreement, the funding gap remains a problem. Although the Commonwealth is not increasing its funding, it hopes that states and territories will increase theirs. Another political agreement on housing came into effect this month between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. The National Housing and Homelessness Agreement is the latest in a 73-year series of these intergovernmental pacts, to ensure affordable housing for low-income Australians and fund services for the homeless. . . .