Shelter Tas appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the Productivity Commission Review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA). We support the submissions from national peak bodies National Shelter and the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA), and our submission provides data from Tasmania, focusing on the critical shortage of affordable rental housing in Tasmania.
In particular, we join the calls for:
- The 2023 NHHA to drive net increases in social and affordable housing to a minimum of 10% of all residential dwellings.
- A National Housing Strategy with an emphasis on meeting the housing needs of low to moderate household through the increase of supply and provision of adequate supports for homelessness services in light of increasing demand.
- The NHHA to provide additional funding of at least 20 per cent for specialist homelessness services, to meet the growing demand for emergency accommodation and support services and recurrent staffing costs
- The NHHA to address the dire shortage of First Nations housing, and to deliver the adequate and appropriate housing for First Nations people in all states and territories.
- Improve housing security for renters.