National housing campaign Everybody’s Home said the Coalition’s budget reply fails to fix the housing crisis and instead proposes policies that would make it worse.
Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said: “The Coalition’s budget reply fails to offer solutions that will ease the housing crisis and fails to help everyday people who are struggling with housing stress.
“The Coalition’s housing plans are a step backwards that would push up the cost of housing. The Opposition has no plan to help the majority of renters and the growing number of people who’re being pushed into homelessness.
“The Coalition’s plan to encourage people to raid their superannuation to buy a home would make the deepening housing crisis even worse. It will drive house prices up, lock more people out of housing, and lower people’s retirement savings.
“It is unfair to ask the next generation to make sacrifices that their parents never had to think about. We should be bringing the cost of homes down, not pushing up costs and asking people to sacrifice their retirement savings.
“Super for Housing will largely benefit those already on the property ladder, and leave everyone else worse off.”
Ms Azize also said that Australia needs a major boost to social housing.
“Hundreds of thousands of people are in severe rental stress. They need social housing - but the Coalition is proposing to build even less by getting rid of the Housing Australia Future Fund.
“That would pull the rug out from underneath thousands of homes that are already in the pipeline, and leave thousands of people waiting even longer. Australia needs to build more social housing, not less.
“With rents skyrocketing and homelessness on the rise, Australians need bold, visionary leaders who’re committed to making housing affordable for all—not just for wealthy property investors and those already on the property ladder.
“With the election just weeks away, Australians have made it clear they want the federal government to prioritise funding affordable homes over tax breaks for investors. And more and more voters know investor tax breaks are unfair and make housing unaffordable.
“Every Australian deserves a safe, decent, affordable place to call home. The only way to achieve that is with ambitious policy and more investment: that means building more social housing, scrapping tax breaks for property investors, and protecting renters from unfair rent rises.”
Media contact: Sofie Wainwright 0403 920 301 // Lauren Ferri 0422 581 506