Media Release by Senator the Hon Kay Patterson

New Housing Agreement Signed With Victoria

The Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson, today announced that the new five-year individual bilateral agreement under the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) had been signed with the Victorian Government.

Senator Patterson said the Howard Government would provide more than $1 billion over the life of the agreement (2003-2008) signed with the Victorian Minister for Housing, Candy Broad.

“The Howard Government has allocated $4.75 billion nationally for the CSHA to help some of society’s most vulnerable people to access safe, affordable public housing,” she said.

“The signing of this agreement gives the Victorian Government five years of financial certainty to provide housing. It is this long-term commitment that allows it to get on with the job.

“I am also please to note that this CSHA features indexation for the first time.

“The funding will assist people on low incomes in need of housing, including those who are at risk of homelessness or in crisis.”

Key features of the Victorian agreement are:

  • to improve housing opportunities for Indigenous people;
  • to promote innovative approaches to provide additional resources into public and community housing;
  • to ensure housing assistance supports social and economic participation; and
  • to improve links between housing, and support services across government and non-government sectors.

“The new CSHA signed by all the states and territories last year includes a new and innovative aspect that encourages states and territories to attract funding from the private and corporate sector to help with the cost of public housing,” Senator Patterson said.

“This not only gets state and territory governments to think more laterally about how they can best meet the housing needs of people, importantly it also provides more funding that can be put to good use.

“The signing of the agreement with Victoria is another example of the Australian Government working with state and territory governments to provide affordable and secure housing options and better housing opportunities for Australians in need.”