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.                

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

Quote:


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!

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

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


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

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


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.