Monday, 13 May 2024
    Give first home buyers grants to homeless: Commission
    04
    Oct
    Housing

    Give first home buyers grants to homeless: Commission

    The Productivity Commission has suggested governments phase out financial assistance for first home buyers and redirect that support to those on the brink of homelessness, ABC News reports.
     
    In a wide-ranging new report on housing in Australia, the commission put forward a range of recommendations it believes will ensure more people have a roof over their head.
     
    The report’s authors have suggested that the money set aside for grants to help people buy their first property would be better spent on programs and policies that assist people at risk of homelessness. The review also found Commonwealth rental assistance was not sufficient or fair, and in some cases had been handed to households that don’t need the support.
     

    It recommended that rent assistance be reviewed by the federal government as a priority.

    Housing and homelessness services are mainly a responsibility of the states and territories, but the federal Government provides about $1.6 billion every year through the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA).

    The review was tasked with looking at the NHHA, which aims to improve Australians’ access to secure and affordable housing. It was scathing of how the agreement operated and stated it had done little to improve affordable, safe and sustainable housing for all.

    Commissioner Malcolm Roberts said the agreement was largely administrative and did not encourage reform.

    “The NHHA is intended to improve access to affordable housing, but it is ineffective,” Mr Roberts said.

    FULL STORY

    Productivity Commission suggests redirecting support from first home buyers to people facing homelessness (By Stephanie Borys, ABC News)

    PHOTO

    The review has cast a scathing light on the state of Australia's housing sector. (ABC News/Nic MacBean)