The national housing and homelessness agreement, also known as the NHHA, is a federal initiative aimed at addressing the lack of affordable housing and increasing homelessness in Australia.
The NHHA was first established in 2009 and was designed to bring together federal, state, and territory governments to work collaboratively towards improving access to affordable housing and reducing homelessness across Australia.
The agreement provides a framework for defining government roles and responsibilities and outlines a set of national objectives and targets that all levels of government should aim to achieve. The objectives include increasing the supply of affordable housing, improving access to housing assistance, and reducing homelessness.
One of the key components of the NHHA is the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA), a funding agreement between the federal government and the states and territories. The NAHA provides funding for the development of new affordable housing and the maintenance and upgrade of existing social housing.
The NHHA also introduced the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, which provides funding for community-based support services aimed at preventing homelessness and providing assistance to those who are experiencing homelessness.
The NHHA has seen some notable successes since its inception, including the construction of more than 20,000 new affordable homes, the provision of housing assistance to over 350,000 households, and a significant reduction in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
However, there is still much work to be done. The NHHA is due to be reviewed in 2021, and there are calls for the agreement to be strengthened and expanded to include a greater focus on addressing the factors that contribute to homelessness, such as poverty, mental illness, and family violence.
In conclusion, the national housing and homelessness agreement is a crucial initiative that brings together federal, state, and territory governments to work towards improving access to affordable housing and reducing homelessness in Australia. While there has been some progress made since its establishment, there is still much to be done, and the NHHA will need to be strengthened and expanded to address the complex factors that contribute to homelessness in our country.