National Shelter Policy Positions
There is a housing affordability crisis in Australia, yet there is no Commonwealth Government strategy to address the growing numbers of people experiencing housing stress and homelessness. Homeownership is on the decline, fewer households are achieving mortgage-free homes before retirement, the private rental market cannot provide affordable homes for people living on low incomes, and our social housing system is not meeting the needs of our citizens. Inadequate social security payment levels, unemployment, and a poorly targeted and insufficient Commonwealth
Aboriginal Housing and Health Report
Shelter WA received a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health to undertake a review of Indigenous housing policy and programs, reviewing the intersection of housing and health policy, and to provide information on the policy changes required to deliver better housing and health outcomes. Shelter WA and National Shelter appointed PwC’s Indigenous Consulting Pty Limited.
A governance group was created in partnership with National Shelter and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Association to oversee this project.
Young Renters Hardest Hit: Moving On Report
The first findings of the national Moving On survey are out! The report shines a light on the experiences of private rental tenants, landlords and property managers across Australia to create a picture of how tenancies end in the private rental market and what changes are needed to make renting fairer. There is no available data set to inform the private rental market about the improvements that are needed.
Key Findings
- The pandemic affected tenants and landlords
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COVID-19: Rental housing and homelessness impacts
A report released as part of the UNSW-ACOSS Poverty and Inequality Partnership, and supported by Mission Australia, National Shelter and Queensland Shelter, looks at the domains of rental housing and homelessness and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.
Pre-Budget Submission 2021-22
National Shelter has released its Budget Submission for 2021/22; in it we welcome the Federal Government’s consolidation of housing responsibilities into a single Housing Minister - The Hon Michael Sukkar MP, and we look forward to an opportunity to meet the Minister to outline our submission in the near future and discuss the need for federal investment. The principal asks remain:
- Federal support for the SHARP proposal and the Housing Booster (affordable housing supply subsidy) project
- The need for tax
National Shelter Response to the Treasurer’s Call for Pre-Budget Submissions 2020-21
National Shelter urges the government and all parties to commit to a national plan and strategy to address affordable housing in Australia and enable governments, the private and community sectors to work together to solve the current affordable housing crisis. The shortage of housing for low and moderateincome households acts as a brake on productivity and inhibits the economic and social participation of households without access to appropriate, well located, affordable, secure and accessible housing.
Read the full response here.
2020 Rental Affordability Index
The latest release of the Rental Affordability Index (RAI) highlights that JobSeeker recipients are facing severe rental stress across the country. The RAI is an indicator of the price of rents relative to household incomes based on new rental agreements. It is released annually by National Shelter, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, SGS Economics & Planning and the Brotherhood of St Laurence. To view the interactive map, click here. To view the full report, as well as the media releases
Budget 2020-21 Analysis
The 29-year run of GDP growth in Australia has now ended with the 2020 recession. While much of the growth run was driven initially by productivity gains and micro and macroeconomic reforms, over the past decade it’s been driven more by population growth. This is significant for housing because our house price inflation, high prices, rental pressure and housing stress is partly a function of population growth.
Read the full National Shelter Budget Analysis here.