Melbourne’s growth corridor ought to be part of a National Affordable Housing plan
The Baillieu Government’s plan to house 1 million more people on the outer fringe gives cause for concern, as relying on expansion of cities as a sole strategy to achieve affordable housing is a recipe for disaster.
Pushing cities further out means putting people ever further from the major job centres, and creates a massive infrastructure deficit, particularly for public transport, that simply won’t be funded by developers. Continue reading »
Northern Tasmanians under housing stress: The most stressed towns revealed
Australians for Affordable Housing is calling on Tasmanians to join the campaign for more affordable housing, revealing which local council areas across the state are hit the hardest by housing stress.
New modelling commissioned by the campaign shows the Northern Tassie towns where housing stress is affecting with renters and home buyers alike. Continue reading »
Seriously housing stressed in SA: the most stressed Adelaide suburbs revealed
Australians for Affordable Housing is urging South Australians to campaign for more affordable housing as it launches new data on where housing stress is hitting Adelaide the hardest.
New research commissioned by the campaign shows the suburbs where both renters and home purchasers struggle with high housing costs. Continue reading »
After the stimulus, affordable housing will decline
In the decade from 2001 to 2010 Australia grew by over 1 million households, but lost 5,308 social housing properties.
This is contributing to housing stress in the rental market, where one in four renters are in housing stress.
While the Federal Government’s Nation Building Stimulus gave a much-needed boost to social housing, this funding is set to run out next year. Continue reading »
High housing costs force troubling trade offs
The high cost of housing is forcing families to make troubling trade-offs, including delaying having children because they can’t get into home ownership or secure rental housing.
Reports of house prices and economic fears driving Victoria’s fertility rate to the lowest in the nation indicate that the housing crisis has wide reaching ramifications.
The problem of housing affordability is indeed a wide-reaching one.
New report on housing stress
New research shows that more than one in ten households face housing stress.
Australians for Affordable housing commissioned the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) to update rates of housing stress across the country.
The report, entitled Housing Costs Through the Roof: Australia’s Housing Stress shows how housing stress plays out in each state.
Nationally, 850,000 households are at risk of financial hardship and poverty after paying for housing costs.
To download the full report, with statistics on each state, click the link below.
Housing costs are the single biggest concern for insecure workers
A survey conducted by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) reveals that housing costs are the single biggest concern for workers in insecure employment, reinforcing the need for action on affordable housing.
I delivered a speech at the Anti Poverty Week Roundtable today hosted by the Australian Services Union Conference examining the housing stress and financial hardship that insecure work and high housing costs can create.
Young people delaying home purchase puts pressure on the rental market
The State of Australian Cities 2011 report findings that show young people are staying in the family home or joining share houses shows just how unaffordable housing has become.
Housing must be considered as an important part of our infrastructure, and more supply in the low-cost rental market was imperative to improve housing affordability.
Rents push households to crisis point
Today we had the Victorian launch of the campaign where we revealed that high housing costs are pushing households to seek emergency relief services for the provision of basics like food parcels and bill payments.
A National Housing plan and a Federal Minister
In order to really address the lack of affordable housing in this country, we need a National Housing plan and a Federal Housing Minister to ensure a more balanced approach to affordable housing.
- I pay $400 per week rent which doesn’t leave me enough to save for a deposit
- No help for the housing stressed in Coalition’s budget reply
- I am a 48 yr old woman working full time & living alone. I barely survive month 2 month paying private rent, let alone save for a deposit
- No ‘fair go’ for housing in Budget
- Battler’s Budget? Not so far!