Media Release by The Hon Julie Collins MP

Housing and Homelessness Ministerial Council meeting

The Housing and Homelessness Council (Ministerial Council) met on 23 February 2024.

Ministers acknowledged the significant work underway by both the Commonwealth and all states and territories (states) to progress the number of housing and homelessness initiatives to improve the supply and affordability of housing in Australia.

The Ministerial Council continues to oversee the development of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan (the Plan) and Ministers acknowledged the ongoing collaboration between the Commonwealth and states to develop the Plan following the consultation process.

Ministers continued discussions on a new outcomes focussed funding arrangement. This will provide a robust performance monitoring framework to improve transparency and accountability. The Commonwealth confirmed there would be no reduction to the Commonwealth’s component of homelessness funding under a new agreement.

Ministers also agreed for officials to continue work on options for a nationally consistent approach to affordable housing, with further modelling and analysis to be undertaken to inform the next steps.

In addition, Ministers provided a number of jurisdictional updates, including:

  • Progress on implementation of the agreed reforms outlined in National Cabinet’s A Better Deal for Renters
  • Timelines towards a national rollout of the Help to Buy Scheme
  • Further discussions on the recommendations of the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council’s report on Barriers to Institutional Investment, Finance and Innovation in Housing.

An out of session meeting of the Ministerial Council is expected in March 2024, with the next full meeting scheduled for May 2024.