Budget Open Letter

1 May 2023

Dear Treasurer,

No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone deserves a safe, decent and affordable home.

But right now, tens of thousands of Australians are homeless and hundreds of thousands are in housing stress. 

This letter is a united call from organisations including unions, community, industry and faith organisations for your government to take action on housing affordability and security in the next Budget.

Australia is in the midst of a growing housing emergency. Over the past two years, rents across the country soared 28 per cent. In the same period, wages grew by only 5 per cent.

Rental increases are having a devastating impact on affordability. People on the lowest incomes are the worst affected. 

Many are forced to accept rent increases and have nowhere to turn. With record low vacancy rates across the country, finding another rental is not an option. And with a shortfall of more than 640,000 social homes, struggling renters are simply trapped. 

While we welcome the Government’s efforts to make a start on tackling the affordability crisis, the actions proposed do not match the scale of this crisis. 

This Budget we, the undersigned, call on you to address the growing housing emergency by funding a pipeline of at least 25,000 social and affordable homes each year.

With thousands of Australians in rental stress and the shortfall growing every year, there is no time to waste.

Sincerely,