The federal government has been urged to increase investment in social housing as Australia recovers from the coronavirus pandemic and its first economic recession in nearly 30 years.
The calls came as federal parliament resumed for the first time in nine weeks on Monday.
Independent MP Zali Steggall said social housing has become increasingly important as Australians battle the economic and social fallout brought on by COVID-19.
“Nearly 120,000 Australians are without a home every night and we fear the problem will get worse through this COVID pandemic,” she told parliament.
“I urge the government to consider investing in social and affordable housing as a stimulus measure.”
Labor MP Sharon Claydon called for stimulus recovery measures to be directed towards building and repairing social housing.
Independent MP Zali Steggall wears a face masks as she enters the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP
More than 140,000 Australians were on social housing waitlists in June 2018, she told parliament.
“Social housing is in urgent need of direct public investment and we need national leadership to make this happen,” she said.
Researchers have previously warned of a looming social housing crisis, with the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute in 2018 identifying a possible shortfall of 433,000 dwellings over the next two decades.
A recent coronavirus outbreak in and lockdown of public housing towers in Melbourne also refocused attention on the living conditions inside such complexes.
However, Liberal MP Tim Wilson told parliament on Monday the government should continue to invest in private rather than social housing to make it more affordable for Australians to own their own home.
“It can be part of the discussion in what we need to do as part of the post-recovery, but we should never accept the idea that social housing should become the norm,” he said.
“We should be seeking for social housing to be the exception and not the rule."
The federal government announced a HomeBuilder grants scheme in June as a means of stimulating the housing market and building sector.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson speaks during debate in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP
The $688 million program offers $25,000 grants to people who sign contracts to build or substantially renovate homes.
Labor MP Julian Hill told parliament on Monday the program was a missed opportunity to invest in more public housing.
“The government’s package does nothing and I call on them to reconsider and drop the arrogant stubborn refusal … and actually commit something to public housing,” he said.
Nationals MP Pat Conaghan said the federal government invests $1.5 billion in public housing each year through the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with states and territories.
Labor member for Bruce Julian Hill. Source: AAP
But he acknowledged some Australians would never be in a position to own their own home, citing his own regional NSW seat of Cowper, which has some of the highest rates of homelessness in Australia.
"We do need to continue to address issues of homelessness and social housing," he said.
“We need to provide that net to support them should they fall through the cracks."
