Homelessness Sector Reform

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:38): Supplementary: how can the minister have any faith in this reform process without even being able to nominate how many houses will be built this year? How can you have this reform that is based on a significant increase in social housing?

The PRESIDENT: I remind the Hon. Ms Bourke that you should direct your questions through the Chair.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:38): I think part of the reason why the Labor Party missed the boat is because their focus is always on such narrow parameters. They have nominated those particular things themselves, which I think demonstrates that they don't particularly understand how people fall in and out of homelessness, how we can best prevent people from falling into the system and how best to provide exits.

Some of the housing providers themselves have been talking about head lease arrangements where they utilise private housing, so public housing is not the only answer to all of these solutions. That may be something that the Labor Party is choosing to focus on, even though their track record on this is fairly appalling. But we believe that there is a range of exit points for people and that, particularly in the affordable housing space, that is one that has been neglected. That is why we have been very keen to make sure that there is more work going on in that space.