Federal Budget opportunity to get serious on housing

The Everybody’s Home coalition of community housing and homelessness advocates today welcomed Liberal John Alexander MP’s call for the Federal Budget to take meaningful steps to address rising housing costs.

Everybody Home’s campaign spokesperson Kate Colvin said statistics released this week by AHURI confirm there are thousands of everyday Australians going to sleep scared they can’t make the next rent or mortgage payment.

But Ms Colvin said Mr Alexander’s call for more support for first home-buyers was missing the real problem – Australia’s housing tax measures that give big incentives for investors at the expense of home buyers.

Ms Colvin said the Federal Government also needed to pay attention to where the deepest pain is being felt – among the one in three households who rent.

“The May Budget needs measures to make life easier for the Australian renters who are struggling every week to pay the rent, put decent food on the table and to meet all the other costs families face every day.

“These include:

• Reducing tax breaks to housing investors that are inflating house prices, and reinvesting the savings in affordable rental housing supply, including
• Delivering a social and affordable housing growth fund to meet the gap between the cost of providing rental housing to low and moderate income households and rental income, and
• Increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance to provide immediate relief to struggling low income renters

  “It’s time for the Federal Government to get serious about delivering rental homes people can afford.”

Media enquiries: Peter Stahel 0408 584 439

The Everybody’s Home campaign has united the not for profit housing, homelessness and community sectors with the nation’s largest charities in calling for leaders to fix Australia’s housing system so that everybody has a home.