We urge all political parties to prioritise gender-responsive housing and homelessness solutions in their federal election commitments. By addressing the unique needs of women, gender-diverse people, and their families through a housing supply lens, we can mitigate the impacts of the housing crisis and create a more equitable future.

 Invest in a Gendered Approach to a National Housing and Homelessness Plan

• Commit to a legislated National Housing and Homelessness Plan with a clear focus on increasing housing supply for women and gender-diverse people.
• Link additional funding to the Plan, ensuring its successful delivery by allocating at 25% of the Plan’s total budget over 10 years specifically to address the housing needs of women and gender-diverse people. This investment must be new and additional, going beyond existing commitments to housing supply and support services.
• Ensure coordination between agencies delivering the National Housing and Homelessness Plan, the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, the National Strategy for Gender Equality, and other key plans to create a cohesive, whole-of-government response that links housing, safety, and support services for women and gender-diverse people, with clear outcomes, targets, and matched resourcing.

A gender-responsive housing strategy will drive transformational change by addressing the unique challenges face by women and gender-diverse people, ensuring housing supply meets their specific needs.  

 Commit to Significant and Sustained Investment in Housing for Women and Gender-Diverse People

• Deliver 20,000 additional social and affordable homes for women and gender-diverse people over the next 5 years, beyond existing commitments for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.
• Establish a dedicated grant-based funding model for the community housing sector to deliver housing solutions tailored to the unique needs of women and gender-diverse people.

Committing to targets will directly address the gendered housing crisis, providing safe, stable, and affordable housing options for women and gender-diverse people, who are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity and homelessness.

 Build Capacity for Gender-Responsive Housing Sector-Wide

• Invest $8 million over 4 years to resource YWCA Australia in deploying sector-wide training on YWCA Australia’s Women’s Housing Framework (WHF), supporting social landlords across government, private and community housing sectors to adopt best-practice, equity-focused housing solutions that meet the needs of women and gender-diverse people.

This will ensure gender-equity-focused housing design and delivery while fostering sector-wide training and adoption of best practice gender responsive housing.

We urge all political parties in their federal election commitments to address the acute housing shortage in rural and regional areas by investing in gender-responsive social and affordable housing projects that meet the unique needs of women, gender-diverse people, and their families.

Increase Regional Housing Supply

• Allocate 30% of federally funded social and affordable housing to regional areas to address the severe supply gap outside urban centres.
• Establish a dedicated grant-based funding model for the community housing sector to deliver tailored housing solutions that account for the higher costs of building in non-urban areas.
• Prioritise long-term social benefits in funding assessments, including housing security, tenant wellbeing, cultural safety, and community impact, alongside traditional “value for money” criteria.

These measures will enable the next federal government to address urgent regional housing shortages, providing safe, sustainable, and gender-responsive housing solutions for women, gender-diverse people, and their families throughout Australia.

 Support Regional Housing Solutions Like YWCA Australia’s Mitchell Street Development in the Northern Territory

• Collaborate with States and Territories to deliver capital grant funding for social and affordable housing projects, including YWCA Australia’s Mitchell Street Development in Darwin’s CBD. This project will deliver 94 social and affordable homes, with 80% allocated to affordable housing for women—prioritising First Nations women, women escaping domestic and family violence, and essential workers.

By supporting this initiative, the next federal government can demonstrate its commitment to regional housing solutions while creating a replicable model for gender-responsive housing projects nationwide. This approach will not only address immediate housing needs but also foster long-term social and economic benefits for the Northern Territory.

We urge all federal election candidates to commit to adequate and sustained funding for specialist homelessness and family and domestic violence services.  This funding must support gender-responsive services tailored to the unique needs of women, gender-diverse people, and their families. 

Increase Funding for Specialist Domestic and Family Violence and Homelessness Services

• Increase annual base funding to State and Territories for specialist domestic and family violence and homelessness services to address rising demand and unmet need, and be indexed to account for rising costs, including wages.

This will enable services to meet growing demand, retain a skilled workforce, and deliver effective, trauma-informed care to women, gender-diverse people, and families.

Establish a Dedicated Gender-Responsive Integrated Housing and Supports Fund

• Commit to creating a dedicated fund to support integrated service models for women and gender-diverse people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, drawing on international best practices. Funding should be allocated to projects that combine safe, affordable housing with tailored, gender-responsive supports, prioritising initiatives that incorporate:
  • Integrated supports: Trauma-informed counselling, mental health and substance use services, legal aid, childcare, education, employment training, and culturally appropriate services.
  • Specialist homelessness and domestic and family violence (DFV) services: Dedicated housing and support for women and children escaping violence.
  • Long-term housing pathways: A focus on housing stability and independence for women and gender-diverse people.
  • Sector collaboration: Partnerships between housing, homelessness, DFV, health, and other sectors to deliver holistic solutions.
• Commit an initial annual investment of $100 million to this Fund, ensuring it is separate from and additional to existing homelessness and DFV funding streams.

This gender-responsive initiative will improve long-term housing outcomes for women and gender-diverse people by integrating stable housing with essential support services, addressing both immediate needs and systemic barriers.

 Invest in Prevention and Early Intervention Programs

• Increase and prioritise funding for evidence-based prevention and early intervention models to improve homelessness supports per the Productivity Commission Review into the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement, now the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness.

Investing in preventative approaches will reduce new instances of homelessness and facilitate access to secure, long-term housing solutions, thereby reducing pressure on crisis services.

We call on political parties in their federal election commitments to create meaningful mechanisms for young women and gender-diverse people with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness to lead the design, implementation and assessment of housing policies and solutions.

Create a National Youth Advisory Group to provide real-world insights into housing and homelessness policy, with priority representation for young women and gender-diverse people.

• The Advisory Group must:
  • Embed Intersectional Representation by ensuring diverse allocations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) communities, LGBTIQA+SB youth, and young people living with disabilities, fostering equity and inclusivity.
  • Centre Lived Experience in Policy Design by requiring government agencies to consult with the Advisory Group when developing housing and homelessness policies, ensuring solutions are practical, inclusive, and aligned with the realities faced by young people.

This Advisory Group will embed lived experience and intersectional perspectives into housing policy, ensuring housing and homelessness solutions are equitable, effective, and meet the needs of young people, particularly young women and gender-diverse individuals.

 Expand the YWCA Amplifying Voices Program Nationally

• Invest $8 million over four years to expand the YWCA Amplifying Voices program nationally. Leverage this program to support young women and gender-diverse people with lived experience to inform housing policymaking.

Amplifying Voices strengthens survivor-advocacy, builds leadership capacity, and ensures that policies and programs reflect the needs and expertise of young people with lived experience of domestic violence and homelessness. 

We call on political parties in their federal election commitments to take a leadership role in working with States and Territories to drive fair and affordable rental protections to ensure women, gender-diverse people, and their families have stable and secure housing.

 Establish National Rental Standards

• Introduce national minimum rental standards to ensure all rental properties meet basic safety, health, and liveability requirements.
• These standards must include protections against unsafe and unhealthy conditions, such as mould, damp, inadequate insulation, and inadequate heating or cooling, to safeguard tenants from extreme cold and heat.

Consistent national protections will improve tenant safety, health, and quality of life, while also addressing unfair practices and ensuring more equitable housing conditions for all renters.

Increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance

• Raise the rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) to reflect rising rental costs and expand eligibility to support more low- to middle-income renters, especially women and gender-diverse people.

Further increases in CRA are essential to address decades of under-indexation and mitigate the financial strain caused by unaffordable rents, preventing vulnerable tenants from falling into poverty or homelessness.

Enhance Renter Education and Advocacy Services

• Provide additional funding for renter education and advocacy services to help women, gender-diverse people, and families understand their rights, access support, and navigate the rental market.
• Advocate for national tenants’ rights to align with leading jurisdictions like the ACT and Victoria, leveling up protections across Australia.

A federally funded “one-stop shop” for rental advocacy services, modelled on successful initiatives like the COVID-19 response, will empower tenants to enforce their rights and achieve greater housing stability.