08 June 2016.
Anglicare Australia has joined with a coalition of homelessness providers, including Mission Australia, UnitingCare Australia, Brotherhood of St Laurence, The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul and Wesley Mission, to urge all major political parties to commit to halving homelessness by 2025.
In a joint letter sent to Malcolm Turnbull, Barnaby Joyce, Bill Shorten and Senator Richard Di Natale, we have asked that reducing homelessness be made a matter of national priority. The party leaders have also been invited to attend a forum with clients of homelessness services in June.
To generate public support for the campaign during the Federal Election we have launched a petition on change.org. This peti8tion is part of a broader campaign – Vote Home: Let’s end the housing crisis by 2025 – that aims to encourage parties commit to a national strategy to address housing affordability and end the housing crisis by 2025.
As was clear from the findings of our 2016 Rental Affordability snapshot, we need a national plan to address housing affordability now, more than ever. Nobody should be homeless in a country as prosperous as Australia, but increasingly, our services are stretched to the limit and there is a critical shortage of affordable housing for people in need.
On behalf of every Australian without a safe place to call home, we are asking for a plan of action and sustainable funding so that together, we can help individuals and families to escape and avoid the trauma of homelessness and build a life of independence.
Please show your support by signing and sharing our petition. With the polls indicating that the election will be very close, it is a perfect time to bring these issues to the attention of your local parliamentary candidates.
For more information, a joint media release which includes quotes from supporting organisations and a link to the letter to the major parties is available on the National Anglicare website.
