The Salvation Army says getting housing under control is the first step towards solving deeper poverty issues.

It's calling for a mix of immediate rent assistance and longer term efforts to get people into affordable housing in today's Budget.

Senior Policy Analyst Paul Barber says clothing and food for struggling children are essentials.

He told Kate Hawkesby we need to be bolder.

Barber says we should be trying to eradicate child poverty before the 2028 goal.

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