As Homelessness Week (August 3 - 8) approaches, I urge us to consider the week's timely theme 'Everybody needs a home'.
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Our region has faced the challenges of drought, bushfires, floods and now COVID-19. Many of us are still feeling the ripple effects of these challenges. This year has certainly cast light on the importance of having a home as a stable base to stay well.
Yet it remains a harsh reality that homelessness is only increasing. There are more than 116,000 people in Australia - including 110 people in the Goulburn Mulwaree region - who don't have a safe, secure place to call home on any given night. Here in Goulburn there are also 227 applicants on the social housing waiting list. The expected wait time for a one bedroom property is five to 10 years.
This must change.
Every day our local Mission Australia teams work with many people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. One of the main barriers we face is the critical shortage of social and affordable homes.
We are committed to helping end homelessness in Australia by increasing the impact of our services, but also by advocating for change. Which is why we are standing up to advocate for much needed action and solutions which can ultimately end homelessness here in Goulburn and across Australia.
When the Federal Budget 2020-21 is handed down this October, we call for a budget commitment to building at least 500,000 new social and affordable homes by 2030, with at least 30,000 of those delivered in the next four years. So that every person in Australia has a safe place to call home. This would not only make a major contribution to ending homelessness, but will also generate much needed jobs.
I encourage everyone to join me and the thousands of others who are calling on our political leaders to make the changes needed to end homelessness. Because everybody needs a home.
If you haven't done so already, I urge you to consider signing up to the Everybody's Home campaign to call for solutions to end homelessness at everybodyshome.com.au. As part of the campaign, you can also contact the treasurer and urge him to sign a pledge supporting investment in social housing.
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