Lord Mayors of Australia’s capital cities are today calling for action on homelessness, urging the Federal
Government to make social and affordable housing in inner cities a key infrastructure priority.
CCCLM Chair, Lord Mayor of Hobart Anna Reynolds said “Australia is in the midst of a housing affordability
and homelessness crisis. It is completely unacceptable that in a country as prosperous as ours, over 100,000
people are homeless every night.
“As city leaders we know many people are experiencing extreme housing stress and our staff work with
people experiencing homelessness every day.”
Infrastructure Australia recognised social housing as essential infrastructure in its 2019 audit. Now a
delegation of Lord Mayors and the ACT Chief Minister will meet with Federal Government Ministers asking
them to work with states and territories to fund and deliver social and affordable housing at sites across the
country.
In a report released today by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM), Capital Concern:
Homelessness in Australian Cities, the Lord Mayors also call for the Federal Government to establish a new
COAG Ministerial Council to negotiate a new agreement to deliver funding to critical housing infrastructure,
including in sites in Australian capital cities.
| City | Site |
| Brisbane | Woolloongabba Urban Development Area |
| Hobart | Northern Transit Corridor |
| Melbourne | Fisherman’s Bend urban renewal site
Arden urban renewal site |
| Sydney | Waterloo Estate redevelopment |
The report reveals that of approximately 116,000 people experiencing homelessness across Australia, 63
percent of people are located in capital cities.
The CCCLM points to a reduction in the proportion of social housing since 1991 and refers to analysis by
Homelessness Australia that Federal investment in social housing and homelessness has decreased in real
terms since 2014. By failing to keep up with population growth and inflation, the report estimates a shortfall
of investment totalling over $400 million between 2014-15 and 2020-21.
The two-day delegation follows on from the Lord Mayor’s crisis meeting in May which was convened to
discuss the severe impact of homelessness on inner cities, and in which the Lord Mayors made action on
homelessness a top priority.
Among others, the Lord Mayors will meet with Minister for Housing, Michael Sukkar, Minister for Minister
for Families and Social Services, Senator Anne Ruston and Assistant Minister for Homelessness, Luke
Howarth.
The full CCCLM report, Capital Concern: Homelessness in Australian Cities, is available below.