аЯрЁБс>ўџ 35ўџџџ2џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС5@ №ПLbjbjЯ2Я2 $*­X­XLџџџџџџˆ\\\\\\\p0pьPPPPPPPP$‰RлВB\ћ PPћ ћ B\\PPWщ щ щ ћ R\P\Pщ ћ щ Hщ 1 \\\PD _х6ФM ^(m00,Ћ (\pp\\\\\\ЄP,|жщ R Ќў §PPPBBppЄг ppPILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic Press Release – 11 March 2025 Senate finds that homelessness is a ‘national disgrace’ A report on poverty and financial hardship released by the Senate today has described the nature and extent of homelessness in Australia as a ‘national disgrace’. On Census night in 2001, there were almost 100 000 people experiencing homelessness across Australia. The Senate report found that one of the most significant causes of homelessness in Australia is the lack of affordable, adequate housing. Access to adequate housing is particularly restricted for people experiencing poverty, unemployment, poor health, disability, domestic violence or discrimination. The very significant number of people in Australia without access to adequate housing is a gross violation of human rights. In 1976, Australia ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Article 11 of this Covenant provides that all people have the right to adequate housing which enables them to live in security, peace and dignity. Recognising the importance of the right to adequate housing to the realisation of other human rights, article 2 of the Covenant obliges Australia to devote the maximum of its available resources to progressively ensuring that all people have access to adequate housing. The Senate report discloses that the Howard Government is failing to discharge this fundamental obligation. Commonwealth expenditure on public housing has decreased in real terms by over $296 million since 1996. Such retrogression is prohibited by international human rights law. While the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognises that the task of ensuring that all people have access to adequate housing is ongoing and must be assessed in the context of a country’s resources, Australia has no excuse. In fact, the Committee has consistently stated that, in a country as wealthy and affluent as Australia, the denial of the right to adequate housing to any significant number of people is, prima facie, a human rights violation. The PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic welcomes the Senate’s recommendations that the Howard Government and state governments increase funding to, and the availability of, adequate housing, especially public housing (Recommendations 17 and 18). As the Senate identifies, it is crucial that the Howard Government develop a national housing strategy (Recommendation 20). The PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic also welcomes and endorses other recommendations in the report which would substantially reduce homelessness and poverty, including recommendations that: The level of social security payments be increased (Recommendation 11). Most social security payments are currently pegged below the Henderson poverty line. Lack of access to an adequate income is a major causal and prolonging factor in homelessness. The Howard Government commit to the continued operation of the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (Recommendation 16). The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program provides an essential safety net for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The operation of residential tenancy databases be effectively regulated (Recommendation 19). There is a direct causal relationship between listing on a residential tenancy database and homelessness. Access to essential services, such as gas, water and electricity, be guaranteed to financially and socially disadvantaged people (Recommendation 33). Many homeless people are unable to access essential services and debts associated with essential services can cause or contribute to homelessness. The Howard Government provide additional funding to community organizations to assist young homeless people (Recommendation 52). Forty-six per cent of the homeless population is aged under 25 years. Centrelink improve service delivery to more effectively respond to the needs of homeless people (Recommendation 55). The Howard Government’s proposal to close major Centrelink offices in Fitzroy and Richmond in Victoria will result in decreased access for disadvantaged people. The Howard Government develop and implement a national anti-poverty strategy (Recommendation 95). Under the Howard Government, in violation of international human rights law, a very significant number of people, 100 000, are homeless and do not have access to adequate housing. Under the Howard Government, in violation of international human rights law, the number of people experiencing homelessness remains relatively static, despite sustained economic growth. Under the Howard Government, in violation of international human rights law, the Federal Treasurer is using money that should be spent on affordable housing to deliver surplus budgets and tax breaks for the rich. This is despite research demonstrating that it costs three times more to provide health care and social services to people on the street than it costs to house them. How many homeless is too many? International law demands that the Howard Government respects fundamental human rights, substantially increases expenditure on public, community and low cost housing and associated support services, and ensures that all Australians enjoy the right to adequate housing. 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