Media Release by The Hon Julie Collins MP

Housing and Homelessness Ministers’ Meeting

Housing and Homelessness Ministers met on Friday 9 September 2022 to continue working together to address housing and homelessness challenges across Australia. Ministers held one minute silence to pay respects to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Commonwealth and State and Territories remain committed to working collaboratively to deliver ambitious national reform.

Building an evidence base to inform future investment

Housing and Homelessness Ministers acknowledged the work undertaken by officials as an important first step, and agreed to continue to work on identifying opportunities for data sharing. This will help build an improved evidence base to help inform governments’ decisions to ensure new social and affordable homes are delivered where they are most needed.

Housing Ministers also committed to continuing efforts to improve the quality and consistency of housing and homelessness data across the nation.

Housing and Homelessness Ministers have tasked housing officials to focus on:

  • a proposal for data integration and linkage to strengthen understanding of clients and their interactions with the housing system,
  • collating economic and construction leading indicators to drive better value, quality, and growth outcomes, 
  • a refreshed approach to ensure the Data Improvement Plan is fit for purpose.

To progress this work, officials from the Commonwealth, New South Wales and Victoria have been tasked with working together to develop a set of protocols for data sharing and use and report back by 31 October 2022.

Working together on future reforms

Housing and Homelessness Ministers discussed opportunities to work together to maximise support for more social and affordable housing, including funding streams and other levers such as innovative financing models, partnerships and use of land.

States and Territories shared their experience in delivering initiatives to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing and to support at risk and vulnerable people to gain and sustain homes.

Housing and Homelessness Ministers also committed to working closely together on key principles for the design and implementation of new initiatives such as the Australian Government’s $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

Housing and Homelessness Ministers supported the expanded remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to fund additional social and affordable housing, as agreed at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit.

All governments agreed to work together on implementation of the Commonwealth’s election commitments, including the National Housing and Homelessness Plan, the Housing Australia Future Fund, and the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council.

Next Meeting

Housing and Homelessness Ministers agreed to reconvene in early December 2022.