![Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair said the housing initiatives in the budget were re-announcements of existing commitments. Picture by Anna Warr Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair said the housing initiatives in the budget were re-announcements of existing commitments. Picture by Anna Warr](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/123041529/41e8592b-7850-48b2-8649-e5d5289c7983.jpg/r0_62_800_512_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In her volunteer work for a Shellharbour charity, Joanne Williams knows she could just as easily be one of the people she is helping.
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The 76-year-old widow and disability pensioner said without the subsidised housing in Wollongong that she lives in - provided by the Housing Trust - she would be lining up for help and support.
"If I didn't have that, I would never be able to pay rent - I just couldn't do it - I'd be homeless like a lot of the people we help here," Ms Williams said.
The day after Jim Chalmers delivered the 2024 federal budget, which included a major focus on cost of living relief, Ms Williams said she would again be helping families that were homeless and struggling to pay the bills.
"We have a lot of people here that are homeless, we've got mothers that are coming to us every single week with children, living in their cars, they're sleeping on the beach, can't afford to buy food."
Others come in seeking assistance to pay for petrol to be able to get to work.
"We see this every day."
Assistant treasurer and Whitlam MP Stephen Jones said the government's budget struck the right balance between responsible spending and keeping a lid on inflation.
"I know locals are doing it tough at the moment, that's why we're delivering targeted support to Illawarra and Southern Highlands residents," he said.
"Whether it's tax cuts, energy rebates, cheaper medicines or cutting student debt, our top priority is providing cost of living relief to take pressure off household budgets."
However advocates for those on the breadline say the government's measures did not go far enough, and called for means-testing of the $300 energy rebate.
"This was a real mis-step by government," Nicky Sloan - CEO of peak community services body Community Industry Group - said.
"Instead of directing the full packet of rebates where they are most needed, they will also be enjoyed by people on the highest incomes, who are unlikely to even notice their impact."
Others have called for the federal government to go further on its promises to address housing affordability as rents continue to be one of the largest strains on household budgets and nearly 13,000 households in the Illawarra pay more than 30 per cent of their income in rent, placing them in rental stress.
Housing Trust CEO Michele Adair said the measures announced on Tuesday night were re-announcements of existing commitments rather than the government taking a direct approach to building more housing.
"These [announcements] are not going to provide a key to a home or give anyone anywhere safe to sleep," Ms Adair said, commenting on funding for states to deliver infrastructure and utilities for new housing.
The budget does include a $23m boost to the $9.3 billion national Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness - which provides matched funds to states for affordable housing - as well as concessional loans to community housing providers and charities to build social and affordable housing. However, much of this was part of the agreement reached with the Greens in September last year to pass the government's signature Housing Australia Future Fund bill.
Knowing the precarity of her situation with older women the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness, and the difference a roof over their heads would make for those she works with, Ms Williams said direct investment in new housing was the number one need.
"For me personally, I'd like to see more homes and more rent relief for a lot of people."