DH goes to Canberra for National Rental Housing Advocacy Day

Happy National Rental Housing Advocacy Day!

DH popped in to Canberra on Wednesday to sort out a few things on your behalf.

She had the best time treading the corridors of power, telling her hard luck story to any Minister who would listen, and looking incredibly important, responsible and resolute in her black trouser suit!

So anyway, let's get down to business...

A Historic Opportunity for Social Housing

Why?

Because the Commonwealth and the States are negotiating a brand new National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA) which determines how the Federal Government funds social housing.

But guess what?
The amount of money the Federal government has given the states for housing barely covers their operational costs. There's nothing in it for new construction.

And the bad news is:

• there are nearly 200,000 people on public housing waiting lists.
  And that's only because low income working families don't even bother to apply
  
• there are at least 600,000 families and singles in housing stress (ie more than 30% of their gross income goes on rent)
  
• there are 105,000 people homeless

The supply of public housing has gone down by
30,000
dwellings since 1996

Whose fault is it?

Oddly enough, 1996 is when the Howard Government got in, and proceeded to slash 3.5 BILLION out of the money they gave to the states for public housing

So,

Whadda we want?

• 30,000 additional public and non-profit housing by 2012
  
• $5 billion more than we got out of the last Commonwealth State Housing Agreement
  
• an Affordable Housing Growth Fund because we need new housing.
  About 7.5 billion over the next 4 years should be a start
  
• a separate Operating Subsidy program of $7.5 Billion
  just to keep us standing still in the same spot
  
• a 30% increase in Commonwealth rental assistance.
  This would put an extra $15 per week into the pockets of the poor buggers doing it tough in private rental housing.

When do we want it?

Over the next 4 years

When are we gonna get it?

In our dreams, according to the Leftie turned Hollowperson who DH managed to buttonhole in a corridor...