As part of its mandate to review nationally significant sector‑wide agreements, the Productivity Commission will conduct its scheduled review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA).
The NHHA commenced on 1 July 2018 and seeks to improve access to affordable, safe and sustainable housing.
The Agreement enables the provision of around $1.6 billion per year in Commonwealth funding to support states and territories to deliver housing and homelessness services and programs. This is in addition to funding of around $5.3 billion in 2021‑22 via the Commonwealth Rent Assistance program to support individuals in the private rental market and community housing to pay their rent.
Under the NHHA, state and territory governments are required to have publicly available housing and homelessness strategies and contribute to improved data collection and reporting.
The Review will seek to determine the extent to which the NHHA is meeting its objectives.
It will consider options to maximise the impact of the Commonwealth’s investment and improve progress to meeting the Agreement’s target outcomes of a well‑functioning social housing system, affordable housing options and an effective homelessness service system.
The Review’s final report is expected to be released by 30 June 2022, with the Terms of Reference accessible on the Productivity Commission’s website.