NSW: Welfare bodies embrace Rudd's 2020 homeless pledge

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2008
NSW: Welfare bodies embrace Rudd's 2020 homeless pledge

Welfare groups have applauded the federal government's plan to halve the number of
homeless in Australia and accommodate all those sleeping rough by 2020 .. as bold .. revolutionary
and ambitious.

Brotherhood of St Laurence executive director TONY NICHOLSON says the plan is by far
the most substantial commitment to tackling homelessness that we have ever seen in Australia.

Australia's peak welfare body the Australian Council of Social Services says the white
paper will ensure fewer people continue to fall through the cracks.

The white paper on homelessness .. The Road Home .. was launched by Prime Minister
KEVIN RUDD today .. with a pledge of one-point-two billion dollars over four years to
build new housing and increase homeless services.

The funding comes on top of the federal government's six billion dollar affordable
housing program .. and is the first step in its 2020 pledge to tackle the problem of more
than 100-thousand people having no home and 16-thousand of them sleeping rough on the
streets.

AAP RTV ab/wz

KEYWORD: HOMELESS (SYDNEY)

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