Affordable housing at crisis levels: ACOSS

Date
    July 2, 2013
The Age.

The Salvos run thousands of programs each year helping those struggling with finances, drugs and alcohol, family issues and youth homelessness.      :)

But there's one problem Salvation Army Major Kelvin Alley says rises above all others to continually plague those on the bottom line.

"The one common factor of great need is the availability of affordable housing," he told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"It confronts us in virtually every program that we run."


The Salvos on Tuesday joined forces with other leading welfare agencies and the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) to warn the major parties about a growing crisis in housing affordability.

They're seeking a serious commitment from both Labor and the coalition on funding for affordable housing programs, and want it elevated to a top priority issue at the coming federal election.

It's an early challenge for the Rudd government and its new housing and homelessness minister Julie Collins, who was sworn into the position just yesterday.

ACOSS has written to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlining its concerns and areas where investment is crucially needed.

"We would welcome a recognition by this government, including Minister Collins, on the importance of this issue," ACOSS deputy CEO Tessa Boyd-Caine said in Canberra on Tuesday.

"But we must have bipartisan support, we must have all parties recognising the critical severity of the shortage of available and affordable housing."

There's also been a joint call from welfare agencies for the Newstart allowance to be increased, as the vast majority of those struggling with housing were trying to get by on low-income payments.

Ms Boyd-Caine said Newstart had failed to keep up with community living standards, and people needed a decent income if they were to make it through tough times to find a job.

The Australian Greens, who recently unveiled a policy plan for tackling homelessness, called on the major parties to match their pledge to increase the Newstart allowance.      [smiley=thumbsup.gif]          

The minor party has moved legislation to increase the payment by $50 a week, with an additional $40 for single parents.

"While the old parties have turned their backs, the Greens are continuing to stand up for vulnerable people across the country," Greens senator Scott Ludlum said in a statement.

© 2013 AAP

Vote 1 - The Australian Greens.      [smiley=thumbsup.gif]    

wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2013 at 5:52pm:

Vote 1 - The Australian Greens.      [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Yes, vote for the Greens if you want increasingly unaffordable electricity so that you can't afford to use your heater in winter or air conditioner in summer! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2013 at 8:26pm:

wrote on Jul 2nd, 2013 at 5:52pm: Vote 1 - The Australian Greens.      [smiley=thumbsup.gif]     Yes, vote for the Greens if you want increasingly unaffordable electricity so that you can't afford to use your heater in winter or air conditioner in summer! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Well, that wouldn't matter if they didn't have a home. No home, no electricity costs.

The Greens are satanists who believe in depopulation, not helping others....they view the poor masses as a virus...

Its Green supporters and other left leaning twits that created the problem. Their open border policies flooding Australia with migrants creating housing shortages in both public and private sector. Then to top it all off they attack the poor with green energy projects that are subsidised by those who can not afford to switch.

Kat wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2013 at 11:23pm:

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 2nd, 2013 at 8:26pm: wrote on Jul 2nd, 2013 at 5:52pm: Vote 1 - The Australian Greens.      [smiley=thumbsup.gif]     Yes, vote for the Greens if you want increasingly unaffordable electricity so that you can't afford to use your heater in winter or air conditioner in summer! [smiley=thumbsup.gif] Well, that wouldn't matter if they didn't have a home. No home, no electricity costs.

Ummm, where did I mention homeless people? The title of this topic mentions the vulnerable, not the homeless.  ::) ::) ::)

also i would like to add to this by highlighting the pressure put on groups like the Salvo's Red Cross etc. the massive flood of boat people into the country is has put a massive  strain on these groups as money that would of been used on Australia's Struggling poor is now used up by boat people being dumped into our communities.

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2013 at 7:13am:

also i would like to add to this by highlighting the pressure put on groups like the Salvo's Red Cross etc. the massive flood of boat people into the country is has put a massive  strain on these groups as money that would of been used on Australia's Struggling poor is now used up by boat people being dumped into our communities.

Yep, we are increasingly seeing instances of economic migrants (a.k.a. illegal immigrants) being given public housing before Australian residents who've been waiting years for a house. So in some cases, never mind rising electricity prices - they can't even get a home because of the Greens supporting this incompetent Labor government and its policies.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2013 at 7:15am:

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Jul 3rd, 2013 at 7:13am: also i would like to add to this by highlighting the pressure put on groups like the Salvo's Red Cross etc. the massive flood of boat people into the country is has put a massive  strain on these groups as money that would of been used on Australia's Struggling poor is now used up by boat people being dumped into our communities. Yep, we are increasingly seeing instances of economic migrants (a.k.a. illegal immigrants) being given public housing before Australian residents who've been waiting years for a house. So in some cases, never mind rising electricity prices - they can't even get a home because of the Greens supporting this incompetent Labor government and its policies.

Its not just public housing its private housing too as many of the rich foreign investment property owners refuse to rent out houses to Australians at an affordable price because there is more money to be made by holding out for government subsidies to house boat people.