Labor's women's budget statement reply calls out lack of social and affordable housing

The party announced its women's budget statement on Thursday, which Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon spoke at, in response to Tuesday's budget.

The federal budget included $1.3 billion to improve outcomes for women's safety, including $100 million for a second stage of the Safe Places Program to deliver about 720 new emergency and transitional accommodation places, supporting up to 2,880 women and children a year.

A further 30,000 women will also be supported to stay safely in their own homes through the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program.

The Herald reported yesterday that CEO of domestic violence service provider Carrie's Place, Jayne Clowes, said while it was great to see funding commitments to women's safety, they needed to be matched with safe and affordable housing.

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The current wait time for a social housing dwelling with two or more bedrooms in Lake Macquarie is 10 years-plus, while in Newcastle the wait for a two-bedder is between five and 10 years, but that blows out to 10 years-plus for three bedrooms or more.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said there were "crickets" in Tuesday's budget announcement when it came to social and affordable housing.

He referred to Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying on the Today show on Wednesday that "the best way to support people renting a house is to help them buy a house", when asked why there was not more support for renters in the budget.

"It just showed how out of touch he is," Mr Albanese said.

The Labor leader pushed his party's previously announced $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund plan that would build 20,000 additional social housing units, 4000 of which will for women and children escaping domestic violence.

The party has also committed to match the $1.3 billion for women's safety in the budget, including the $100 million for crisis accommodation.

"We know that too many women, sometimes with their kids, escaping domestic violence, are forced to sleep in the car, or couch surf, or worse still: return to a dangerous circumstance," Mr Albanese said.

Ms Claydon said at the announcement that frontline domestic family violence services in Newcastle were "telling us squarely it's the worst they've ever seen".

In December, Nova for Women and Children announced it had to scale back its service due to a lack of available housing, with local women being forced to sleep in cars and tents.

With the upcoming election, advocacy organisations including Full Stop Australia and Homelessness NSW have launched a campaign named 'Unhoused' to call for $7.6 billion over four years to address women's homelessness, with close to 50,000 Australian women sleeping rough every night.

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