NSW blames Howard for shelter shortage
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An average of 350 people a day were turned away from shelters during a 12-month period. (AAP: Dean Lewins)
The New South Wales Government and the Federal Opposition are at odds over who is to blame for an undersupply of accommodation for homeless people.
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that on average more than 350 people were turned away from homeless shelters every day across Australia in the 2006 to 2007 financial year.
The Federal Opposition's housing spokesman, Scott Morrison, says the states should be more accountable for the funding they receive from the Federal Government.
"The Howard government spent literally billions on the states in terms of supportive accommodation on public housing," he said.
"The net result of how that money was spent by states is we have fewer public housing units today than we did over 10 years ago and so the money was flowing, but the services were not flowing from the state governments."
But New South Wales Housing Minister David Borger says the Howard government did not give the states enough money to address the problem.
"This is an example of the Howard government being AWOL on homelessness for 10 long years, that's what it's about," he said.
"It's about John Howard and his mates in the federal government failing in their duty to delivery sufficient services on the ground."
