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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 13 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 3932 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

the community sector the priorities which should be emphasised in the report's many recommendations.

I acknowledge the presence of Ms Dundas at the forum and her ongoing interest in these important issues. There was broad support from the participants in the forum for the recommendations of the needs analysis report. They suggested that the government response to the reports of both the standing committee and the needs analysis should be considered together.

Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services is to develop an ACT homelessness strategy, in conjunction with the ACT homelessness advisory group. This strategy will allow us to build on the existing strong community/government partnerships that have been developed to date. I am strongly committed to ensuring our community partners have a critical role in developing the strategy and, of course, to the delivery of our response.

It is important to recognise that the simple provision of a roof over someone's head is not a cure-all for homelessness. The circumstances which have led a person to become homeless are much more multifaceted than the loss of secure accommodation. Therefore, our response must embrace and address the complexity of these issues.

Through the ACT homelessness strategy, the ACT will have, for the first time, an integrated and planned response to homelessness. This strategy will ensure that the effort we put in over the next few years will have long-term sustainable community benefits. In order to ensure that we better understand the dynamics of the transition between supported accommodation and long-term sustainable housing options, later this year I will host a housing transition forum.

The forum will bring together people and services from the supported accommodation and long-term housing sectors, to discuss how we can build better pathways between the two sectors. The purpose of the forum will be to flush out the policy and program blockages in the current accommodation/housing system and devise new ways to build the capacity of residents to sustain long-term housing options. The forum will be based on the findings of the needs analysis, as well as the report of the affordable housing task force. As such, its final timing will be dependent upon the release of the task force report.

With specific reference to the report of the committee, members will note that the government has agreed to three recommendations, agreed in principle to two, and noted one. In response to the committee's recommendations, we have agreed to monitor the need for additional accommodation and support services for homeless men and their children, examine ways to provide more appropriately designed crisis accommodation facilities for homeless families, and continue to provide ongoing funding for intervention programs for boys, to prevent the perpetuation of domestic violence. Where the recommendations have budget implications, we have agreed in principle, subject to discussions regarding the content of the 2003-04 ACT budget. I will be working hard with my cabinet colleagues to ensure that resources are found to address these key issues.

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