Justice & EquityHousing Security

Justice & Equity · Housing Security

A roof over every head. Here's the plan.

On any given night about 116,000 Australians experience homelessness, and up to 2 million people aged 15 and over are at risk of homelessness. In 2023 the population grew by 600,000 while dwelling approvals were a mere 167,000. One of the least populated countries on Earth contains the world's second most expensive housing — a stunning failure of public policy. Our answer starts with a National Housing Strategy that treats cost, supply, taxation and investment as one problem, monitored and reported on regularly.

116,000 Homeless on any given night Up to 2 million Australians aged 15 and over are at risk of the same.
167,000 Dwelling approvals in 2023 The same year Australia's population grew by 600,000.
400+ Dwellings per 1,000 people Among the least housing stock per adult in the developed world; the social housing stock, about 400,000 dwellings, has barely grown in 20 years.
50,000 Extra homes a year, for ten years The Grattan Institute finds that would leave national home prices and rents 10–20% lower than otherwise.

Three renters, one housing system

Pick a person. See their night — then hand them a plan.

The plan at a glance

One national strategy

A National Housing Strategy addressing all cost and supply issues — taxation, budgeting and investing together — working for consistency in States-based measures, and monitored and reported on regularly.

Homes for people who have none

Investment in social housing for those at greatest risk of long-term homelessness, safe and permanent supported housing for people who have been homeless medium to long term, and funded transition housing for people in crisis such as family violence.

Supply in the suburbs we already have

Working with state governments on an overall framework for land and housing supply: incentives for housing in inner and middle suburbs, greater density and diversity of housing types, land use planning amendments, consolidation of land parcels, audits of existing urban areas for medium-density opportunities, and building regulations that can lower building costs while meeting higher standards for net-zero emissions.

A fair deal for renters

Tenants' rights reformed, unfair evictions ended, rent increases tied to increases in the median wage, and incentives for major build-to-rent developments in good locations.

Rent assistance that keeps its value

A 40% increase indexed in future to changes in rents, as the Henry Tax Review recommended — and universities required to provide more affordable dormitory accommodation on campus for students.

Housing tonight, and housing under a plan

Same country, same land, the same people at risk — with and without a strategy.

Today

  • 116,000 people homeless on any given night, with up to 2 million at risk of homelessness
  • Rent assistance lifted by 15%, short of the Henry Tax Review's recommendation
  • Renters exposed to unfair evictions, with housing costs rising well beyond incomes
  • 167,000 dwellings approved in 2023 against population growth of 600,000

Our plan

  • Social, supported and transition housing funded for those at greatest risk
  • Rent assistance raised 40%, then indexed to rents so its value is maintained
  • Unfair evictions ended and rent increases tied to increases in the median wage
  • Density and diversity in inner and middle suburbs, plus build-to-rent incentives
The change that makes the rest possible

Two decades of neglected housing policy, at every level of government

One National Housing Strategy — cost, supply, taxation and investment together, monitored and reported on regularly

Estimates of how many new homes will be required by 2030 range from 1 million to 2.7 million. Numbers on that scale are only reachable if taxation, budgeting, investment and state planning pull in the same direction — which is what a single National Housing Strategy, monitored and reported on regularly, is for.

The full policy

Word for word — the platform as our members wrote it.

The Issues

The fact that one of the least populated countries on Earth contains the world’s second most expensive housing is a national calamity, and a stunning failure of public policy.

Australia’s mess and how to fix it.

— Alan Kohler, The Quarterly Essay 2023

The 2-decade-long neglect of housing policy has, at every level of government, failed young Australians and those on low incomes. Housing costs are rising well beyond rates of income, home ownership rates are falling, affordable rentable properties are scarce and high rates of migration are worsening the crisis. 116,000 Australians experience homelessness on any given night and up to 2 million people aged 15 years and over are at risk of homelessness.

Federal Government recently committed to help deliver 30,000 new social and affordable rental houses over 5 years and numerous other measures to reach the target of 1.2 million new houses.

Our Plan

  • Complete a National Housing Strategy with objectives addressing all cost and supply issues, applying measures in taxation, budgeting and investing, and working for consistency in States-based measures. The Strategy to be monitored and reported on regularly.

  • Invest in social housing for people at greatest risk of long-term homelessness.

  • Invest in safe, permanent, and supported housing, for people who have been homeless, medium to long term.

  • Fund transition housing for people in crisis situations such as family violence.

  • Urge state governments to set an overall framework for land and housing supply by: working with state governments to set building regulations that can lower building costs but meet higher standards for net-zero emissions; incentivising supply of housing in inner and middle suburbs and increasing density and diversity of housing types, with measures including land use planning amendments; and encouraging consolidation of land parcels and the States to audit existing urban areas for potential medium-density housing opportunities.

  • Reforming tenants’ rights, ending unfair evictions and rent increases tied to increases in the median wage.

  • Offer incentives for major build-to-rent developments in good locations.

  • Raise rent assistance by 40%, indexed in future to changes in rents so its value is maintained, as recommended by the Henry Tax Review. (The Government has agreed to a 15% increase.)

  • Require universities to provide more affordable dormitory accommodation on campus for students.

The Evidence

Homelessness is a visible and extreme form of social exclusion and has severe adverse social, health, and economic consequences for people. In 2019, an estimated 2.2 million Australians had been without a permanent place to live at some point in their lives.

— Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

If an extra 50,000 homes were built each year for the next ten years, national home prices and rents would be 10-20% lower than otherwise.

— The Grattan Institute

The lack of affordable housing has at last been recognised by government as a major issue for many Australians and a plan is afoot to improve supply but it does not go far enough.

In 2023 Australia’s population grew by 600,000 whilst dwelling approvals were a mere 167,000. The stock of social housing, currently ~400,000 dwellings, barely grew in 20 years. Australia has just over 400 dwellings per 1,000 people, which is among the least housing stock per adult in the developed world.

Estimates of how many new homes will be required by 2030 range from 1 million to 2.7 million. The housing crisis was exacerbated by a post pandemic reduction in household sizes, creating a shortfall of ~20,000 homes.

For many young people it is a perfect storm of insecure and lower-paid employment, HECS debt repayments, the rising cost of housing generally, barriers to saving enough for a deposit on a home and the need for young people to rely on family for housing until well into their 20s. The longer young people are homeless the greater the risk of mental health issues and suicide.

The ABS found 122,494 persons were estimated to be experiencing homelessness on Census night 2021.

The Federal Government plan does not include abolition of negative gearing or halving capital gains tax as recommended by the Grattan Institute and other players, despite ALP election commitments in 2019 to do so. The $25b/year saved could have been spent on social housing, boosting the very modest proposal of 10,000 houses over 5 years and the rest coming on-stream through future funds.

The Federal Government proposal for the superannuation sector to invest in social housing is problemmatic, given the fact that their charter obliges funds to act in the best financial interests of their members and social housing will require substantial subsidy. A better idea would be incentives for affordable, large-scale, build-to-rent developments with long term leases.

References

Make it happen.

Policies like this only become law when enough people push. Push with us.

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