Cut tax breaks to fund affordable homes

A new national housing campaign is calling on the Federal government to reduce negative gearing and capital gains concessions to help fund an identified 500,000 shortfall in social and affordable housing for Australia’s low and middle income earners.

The Everybody’s Home campaign is uniting the not-for-profit housing, homelessness and community sectors and the country’s largest charities in calling for Australia’s housing system to be rebalanced.

Everybody’s Home spokesperson, Kate Colvin, said Australia is at risk of becoming a nation divided by housing need unless federal and state governments intervene.

“Australia is at crossroads and needs governments to make the decision to intervene before a housing based divide becomes an ugly and entrenched fact of life for the majority of Australians,” Ms Colvin said.

“Right now 1.5 million households in Australia spend over 30% of their income on housing costs. Almost three in four of these are renters, who live with a system that is stacked against them.

“Just days ago new Census figures show that national homelessness rates are continuing to rise – increasing in 37%in NSW in five years.

“We really need to ask our selves if this is the Australia we want to be. Or do we want to be an Australia in which everyone, every night has a place to call home.”

Everybody’s Home is asking all parties to support a plan to:

  1. Prioritise homebuyers by reducing negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions – and use the revenue it raises to help fund more social land affordable housing options for ordinary Australians;
  2. Develop a national strategy for providing the shortfall of 500,000 social and affordable needed in Australia;
  3. Support renters by ending no grounds evictions and unfair rent rises;
  4. Provide immediate relief for Australians in chronic housing stress by increasing rent assistance to reflect increasing housing costs; and
  5. A real plan to end homelessness in Australia.

“Australians know housing is an issue, across every generation. Everybody’s Home is asking all political parties to show they’re serious about supporting the solutions.”

Media enquiries: Jenny Stokes 0478 504 28

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