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• Newborn passes away following discovery at a homeless encampment

A newborn’s passing in a homeless camp has brought attention to Australia’s worsening housing affordability and rising cost of living challenges.

Police located a 37-year-old woman and two infants on Saturday following a call to Cadell Place near the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga.NSWThe Riverina region, where numerous homeless individuals have established tents.

One of the infants had already passed away, while the woman and the other baby were transported to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

The NSW Police think there is no indication of anything unusual.

The news has intensified demands for measures to prevent other families from experiencing the same outcome.

Such tragedies don’t emerge from nowhere,HomelessnessAustralia’s chief executive, Kate Colvin, stated.

They stem from a housing system that has collapsed to the extent that secure housing or sufficient assistance is unavailable, even for a mother with a newborn.

It is entirely unacceptable that a family welcoming a new baby cannot promptly secure a home, as rentals are too expensive and social housing is not available.

The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council suggested a sustained strategy for funding social and low-cost housing following its 2026 State of the Housing System report, which indicated that the affordability of renting and buying had kept worsening.

In 2025, roughly a third of the median income was needed to cover the median rent, according to the report, highlighting a growing threat of rental hardship and homelessness for those with lower incomes.

It also discovered that women, especially single mothers and older single women, experience especially challenging housing situations.

Single-parent households, with 80 percent led by women, experience the highest levels of housing and financial difficulties compared to other family structures, and are most prone to living in poverty once housing expenses are considered.

“Currently, increasing rents and the cost of essentials such as food and fuel are surpassing incomes, forcing more families to leave their homes, while services continue to operate in a state of emergency,” Ms. Colvin stated.

Without transformation, we will continue to witness disasters such as this, each one deeply distressing, preventable, and a sign that individuals are being let down well before the emergency occurs.

The federal government is set to modify tax benefits for property investors, including the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing, when it releases its budget in mid-May.

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