Homelessness

The same number of senators voted for and against a motion, which means the motion failed. It had been introduced by Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Australian Human Rights Commission estimates that one in four of the 20,000 homeless young people in NSW is gay or lesbian,

(ii) there is a general lack of Australian research on LGBTIQ homelessness,

(iii) international research, for example, 'LGBT Selective Victimization: Unprotected Youth on the Streets' (Ventimiglia, 2012), shows that LGBTIQ people, especially trans people and young people, are disproportionately affected by homelessness, and

(iv) university campuses have been working with students and the Australian Queer Student Network to provide crisis accommodation on campus after LGBTIQ students have been discovered sleeping in classrooms and university spaces set aside for LGBTIQ students; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) work with community stakeholders to develop plans for ending LGBTIQ homelessness, including targeted strategies to support students and young people in LGBTIQ communities who are experiencing homelessness,

(ii) collaborate with stakeholders to secure national data on LGBTIQ homelessness, and

(iii) ensure specific LGBTIQ homelessness programs and an urgent assessment of funding and resourcing needs are addressed in National Housing and Homelessness Agreement negotiations with states.