Chronic lack of affordable homes has led to increases in overcrowding and homelessness; Neither major party is taking Australia's shortage of affordable housing seriously
Tweet Topic Started: 30 Apr 2013, 09:43 AM (3,454 Views)
By Madeleine Morris Updated Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:32pm AEST
Neither major party is taking Australia's chronic shortage of affordable housing seriously in the run up to the federal election, the head of the Victorian Tenants Union has told the ABC's PM program.
Mark O'Brien says the issue is not registering on the political radar despite the National Housing Supply Council Australia saying there is a shortage of 600,000 affordable rental homes for those in lower income brackets.
A new Anglicare Australia report on rental affordability has also found it is almost impossible for people on welfare to afford to rent a home.
Mr O'Brien says there was some focus on affordable housing at the 2007 election.
"That disappeared in 2010, and we've seen nothing at the moment to indicate that either of the two major parties are taking the issue seriously," he said.
Joel Pringle, from the pressure group Australians for Affordable Housing, says not enough homes being built and big increases in rents are the main reasons for a lack of affordable housing.
"Some of our recent research has shown us that even child carers, tradespeople, people working in hospitality, cannot afford rents. And that's not just inner-city areas, that's across Melbourne."
In the past five years, capital city rents have risen at twice the rate of inflation.
The lack of affordable private rentals is compounded by a severe shortage of public housing.
In Victoria, the Office of Housing has had to sell off stock to cover operating costs, and there is no budget to build new homes now the grant for public housing given under the Federal Government's stimulus package has run out.
Australia-wide, 173,000 people are on waiting lists for government housing.
Mr Pringle is calling on state and federal governments to act.
"State and federal governments are aware of the problems but solutions, whilst easy on a policy level, are politically more challenging," he said.
"We are calling on the Federal Government to establish a fund which would be direct investment in social housing and could partially be funded by a social housing bond.
"And for long-term renters there's also the need to address Commonwealth payment in rent assistance. That payment has diminished over a number of years. It hasn't kept up with rent increases, and it needs to be increased."
Homelessness rising
The chronic lack of homes has led to increases in both overcrowding and homelessness.
In the 2011 census, 105,237 people were categorised as homeless, up from 89,728 in 2006.
Homelessness can mean living on the streets, in temporary accommodation, homeless shelters or in disused buildings, known as squats. Audio: Housing shortages are forcing people on the streets and into squats (PM)
Ben, who has been squatting for the past six weeks in a derelict building in Melbourne's CBD, says one public housing agency told him he would wait 15 years before receiving a publicly funded home.
He says like many who end up on the streets, he has been caught in a vicious circle, unable to find work or accommodation.
"A lot of places won't let you live there unless you have a job, and it's like, well, I need a job to get a house and vice versa," he said.
The dangers of squatting were highlighted last year when a young Melbourne student, Scarlet Spain, fell through a skylight while on the roof of a friend's squat.
At the inquest into her death earlier this month, the coroner, Kim Parkinson, said there must be greater awareness of the risks of living in derelict buildings among people who are most likely to squat.
Ms Spain's mother, Victoria Ryle, told PM governments needed to do more to provide affordable housing.
"To me it seems that housing is not so different to water, and everybody has access to clean water," she said.
"People build houses where they think they can make money, and it seems to me that the planning process is a nightmare, that buildings are left empty for so long, and that's obviously dangerous."
Isn't it scary that you just know that if all of these welfare parasites (such as Tennant Union quango, Wesley Mission quango staff) payed their taxes rather than salary sacrificing all of their living expenses (utility bills, mortgage repayments etc) to dodge tax, then we would have a lot more money to pay for the services they say we need so dearly.......from your taxes.
Which is also where their wages come from.
Says a lot about our welfare system that those at the heart of it earning $100,000 plus don't want to pay for it!
WHAT WOULD EDDIE DO? MAAAATE! Share a cot with Milton?
I dont see it becoming a Big Political issue until 2025.
By that time, the Governments from both sides would have exhausted all the cheap options to addressing this issue and the evidence of homelessness and the protest caused by it should be overwhelming.
Only then will Governments from both sides be dragged screaming and kicking into massive public housing projects, similar to the state housing projects of the 1950's.
Caveat here, these massive public housing projects will only occur if the protest is loud enough, if not Australian culture will adopt the notion that Homelessness is necessary but acceptable cost society pays to maintain markets.
Isn't it scary that you just know that if all of these welfare parasites (such as Tennant Union quango, Wesley Mission quango staff) payed their taxes rather than salary sacrificing all of their living expenses (utility bills, mortgage repayments etc) to dodge tax, then we would have a lot more money to pay for the services they say we need so dearly.......from your taxes.
Which is also where their wages come from.
Says a lot about our welfare system that those at the heart of it earning $100,000 plus don't want to pay for it!
Makes you realise why divorce and free sex was so frowned upon in the old days.
Of course the Liberals, Labor and the Greens don't give a flying fuck about housing affordability.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
The answer to housing is for people to get jobs. it really is that simple.
Incorrect. The answer is a house price crash and for the bulls and timmy to go broke, then go and work at Hungry Jacks where they belong.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
The answer to housing is for people to get jobs. it really is that simple.
Ever thought of trying out for a job on fox news Timmy?
Do you want old age pensioners on public housing lists around the country to get jobs?
Thats the solution is it?
Property acquisition as a topic was almost a national obsession. You couldn't even call it speculation as the buyers all presumed the price of property could only go up. That’s why we use the word obsession. Ordinary people were buying properties for their young children who had not even left school assuming they would not be able to afford property of their own when they left college- Klaus Regling on Ireland. Sound familiar?
The evidence of nearly 40 cycles in house prices for 17 OECD economies since 1970 shows that real house prices typically give up about 70 per cent of their rise in the subsequent fall, and that these falls occur slowly. Morgan Kelly:On the Likely Extent of Falls in Irish House Prices, 2007
The answer to housing is for people to get jobs. it really is that simple.
Don't worry Timmy I hear you.
Newjerk? can you try harder than dig up another person's blog. My first promo was with Billabong and my name in English is modified with a T, am Perth born but also lived in Sydney to make my $$ It's Absolutely Fabulous if it includes brilliant locations, & high calibre tenants..what more does one want? Understand the power of the two "P"" or be financially challenged Even better when there is family who are property mad and one is born in some entitlements.....Understand that beautiful women are the exhibitionists we crave attention, whilst hot blooded men are the voyeurs ... A stunning woman can command and takes pleasure in being noticed. Seems not too many understand what it means to hold and own props and get threatened by those who do. Banks are considered to be law abiding and & rather boring places yeah not true . A bank balance sheet will show capital is dwarfed by their liabilities this means when a portions of loans is falling its problems for the bank.
Tell me blonde, so the solution to bulging public housing waitlists is to insist that people who cant work ( the old and disabled) should be forced to get jobs anyway?
Think about it now...
Property acquisition as a topic was almost a national obsession. You couldn't even call it speculation as the buyers all presumed the price of property could only go up. That’s why we use the word obsession. Ordinary people were buying properties for their young children who had not even left school assuming they would not be able to afford property of their own when they left college- Klaus Regling on Ireland. Sound familiar?
The evidence of nearly 40 cycles in house prices for 17 OECD economies since 1970 shows that real house prices typically give up about 70 per cent of their rise in the subsequent fall, and that these falls occur slowly. Morgan Kelly:On the Likely Extent of Falls in Irish House Prices, 2007
Tell me blonde, so the solution to bulging public housing waitlists is to insist that people who cant work ( the old and disabled) should be forced to get jobs anyway?
Think about it now...
The solution is just because, I dunno, go away, I'm pretty.
Blondie knows a lot about politics, economics and social issues.
stinkbug omosessuale Frank Castle is a liar and a criminal. He will often deliberately take people out of context and use straw man arguments. Frank finally and unintentionally gives it up and admits he got where he is, primarily via dumb luck! See here Property will be 50-70% off by 2016.
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