Federal Budget signals progress on housing reform, with targeted support for young people welcomed.
13 May 2026 – The Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum (AHHF) welcomes measures in the 2026-27 Federal Budget that signal a stronger focus on housing reform, including targeted investment to support young people at risk of homelessness.
The Budget includes funding to supplement rental income for community housing providers delivering social housing for more than 4,000 young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. This measure reflects a growing recognition of the need for earlier, targeted intervention that supports young people to access stable, affordable housing and reduce experiences of prolonged housing insecurity or entrenchment in homelessness system.
This focus aligns with the AHHF’s long-held advocacy to improve housing pathways for young Aboriginal* people who, both nationally and in Victoria, remain disproportionately impacted by housing instability and homelessness.
AHHF Chair and CEO of Aboriginal Housing Victoria, Darren Smith, said the $60 million investment in the creation of a National Youth Housing Supplement is a meaningful step towards unlocking much-needed social housing pathways for young people.
“Supporting community housing providers to deliver secure, affordable housing for young people is a practical and important step that alters the trajectories of young Aboriginal people’s lives and have a generational impact.”
Demand for homelessness services among young Aboriginal people continues to grow. In Victoria alone, the number of young Aboriginal people aged 15–24 accessing Specialist Homelessness Services has more than doubled over the past decade[i], from 1,402 to 2,825 annual presentations. At the 2021 Census, approximately half of the Aboriginal population in Victoria were under the age of 25[ii].
“We welcome this investment as part of a broader reform agenda, and as a signal of the role the community housing and Aboriginal community-controlled sectors play in delivering tangible solutions.”
Mr Smith said that while the measures signal progress, sustained, long-term investment will be required to meet the scale of housing need experienced by Aboriginal communities.
“The revenue generated from the Albanese Government’s broader suite of tax reforms now must be leveraged to strengthen supply and improve affordability across all types of tenure in Australia, including private rental, affordable and community housing.”
The AHHF also welcomes continued investment in Closing the Gap, including funding for the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing peak body.
Mr Smith continues, “We look forward to ongoing collaboration and continued advocacy for the development and implementation of a dedication First Nations National Housing and Homelessness Plan.”
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Contact: communications@ahvic.org.au | 0456 622 885
* The term ‘Aboriginal’ is used to refer to both Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
[i] AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2025) Specialist Homelessness Services Collection data cubes 2011–12 to 2024–25.
[ii] Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 July 2022), Victoria: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population summary.
About the Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum (AHHF)
The Victorian Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Forum (AHHF) is a first of its kind, self-determined voice for Aboriginal housing and homelessness. The AHHF is a consortium of over 40 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), Traditional Owner (TOs) groups and Aboriginal Trusts, who are delivering, or are interested in delivering, housing and homelessness services across Victoria.
The AHHF provides a dedicated space to engage in culturally safe planning, advocacy and action to progress the strategic objectives of Mana-na woorn-tyeen maar-takoort: Every Aboriginal Person has a Home, the Victoria Aboriginal Housing and Homelessness Framework.
The AHHF works in partnership and collaboration with Homes Victoria, the Department of Treasury and Finance, the Department of Transport and Planning, and the Department of Premier and Cabinet to build the capacity and capability of an Aboriginal housing and homelessness system, and to ensure that every Aboriginal person has a home.
Mana-na woorn-tyeen maar-takoort is the self-determined framework for Aboriginal housing and homelessness reform in Victoria. The Framework was developed by community, for community in 2020, to reflect the objectives and priorities of the Victorian Aboriginal community, and respond to community needs across the housing and homelessness systems over the next 20 years.
