Advocates are urging the government to do more to address the nation’s housing issues, as political stoushes over the crisis continue to play out, the Canberra Weekly reports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed with premiers and chief ministers at national cabinet to lift the national housing target to 1.2 million homes, a 200,000 dwelling increase.
States and territories will be offered $15,000 for each new home they build, coming from $3 billion in federal funding for 200,000 new dwellings.
Mr Albanese also locked in a 2024 start date for a scheme to allow 40,000 low-income families to buy a home.
The national council of charity St Vincent de Paul welcomed the measures but president Mark Gaetani said further reform was needed.
“Federal and state governments must help alleviate this situation,” he said.
“Charities are unable to carry the burden on their own.
“The national cabinet commitments on housing are welcomed but we cannot ignore those suffering right now.”
Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Services forecast housing affordability would improve slightly in Australia, with house prices expected to stay “broadly flat” over the next six to 12 months and steady income growth over the rest of 2023.
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Charities urge government to do more to address Australia’s housing crisis (Canberra Weekly)
More action needed to tackle housing crisis (Vinnies)
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