Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) is urging federal politicians to prioritise an agreement around the Housing Australia Future Fund and get on with building more social and affordable housing, as a new report highlights a desperate undersupply across the country.
Anglicare's annual Rental Affordability Snapshot shows there are virtually no affordable rentals for a person relying on income support payments. For the first time, the snapshot shows less than one percent of rentals are affordable for a person working full-time on the minimum wage.
CHIA chief executive officer Wendy Hayhurst said the government's Housing Australia Future Fund is a good start that needs to be established and then built upon.
"There is no justification so many Australians are struggling to find and secure an affordable home in a wealthy nation like Australia," she said.
"Our own research shows hundreds of thousands of Australian households have housing needs that are not being met.
"This worsening housing emergency requires prompt action. More affordable and social homes are desperately needed to end housing stress and homelessness.
"We need to get on with building today. Further delays to getting shovels in the ground will only prolong the personal suffering and housing crisis."
