Housing crisis must be addressed in budget
08/05/2023
As Australians endure the worst housing crisis in living memory, national housing campaign Everybody’s Home is calling on the Federal Government to increase social housing and income support payments in tomorrow’s budget.
Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize is available for comment before and after the budget is released.
“The government must do something about the housing crisis in this budget – one of the nation’s biggest crises. We can’t sit idle while rents continue to soar and more people are pushed into housing stress and homelessness. We need more social housing, more financial support for people who can’t afford rent, and more funding for the services helping those in need,” Ms Azize said.
Everybody’s Home wants the budget to include the following:
- Build at least 25,000 social homes each year for 20 years
- End tax handouts for landlords, saving billions for social homes and renters in need
- Boost funding for homelessness services
- Boost JobSeeker and fix Commonwealth Rent Assistance
Quick facts:
- Rental stress is increasing with a shortfall of 640,000 social homes in Australia.
- Our recent report found soaring rents are pricing essential workers out of their communities across the country.
- More than 40 organisations have signed our open letter to the Treasurer calling on the government to fund a pipeline of at least 25,000 social and affordable homes each year.
- New polling shows over 80 percent of Australians want the government to fund affordable housing in tomorrow’s budget. Almost 70 percent say the government isn’t doing enough to tackle the housing crisis.
- There are reports rents will remain high for years. The RBA also says rents will likely remain high in the year ahead, fearing the rental crisis could add to price pressures in the economy.
- A report has found the top 20 percent of income earners will have received more than $42 billion in negative gearing and capital gains concessions and exemptions this financial year. In comparison, the people on the lowest incomes will benefit less than $4 billion.