Election Debate in Australia Focuses Heavily on Housing Affordability Amidst Rising Property Prices
Take a bloody look at Sydney, Australia - On Saturday, Mary, a 59-year-old Australian, will cast her vote, and the persistent problem of unaffordable housing in the country will remain a key concern.
For two long, grueling years, she has resided in temporary accommodations in regional New South Wales, sharing this predicament with her daughter and her beloved dog.
Freakin' Expensive Housing, Mate!
Mary lives off her fortnightly unemployment assistance of 836.50 AUD ($540.54) and occasional income from seasonal jobs in hospitality and retail. Yet, the median rent for a house or apartment in Australia stands at a Friggin' steep 560 AUD ($360) a week, which Mary can't bloody afford.
Mary, who wishes to be referred to by her first name, has attempted to secure social housing but was disheartened to learn that the waiting list is as long as a bastard's arm.
"Once our meager funds got devoured by rent, and with no work, we landed here," Mary told Al Jazeera. "Now, I have to pay a fortune for storage to keep our lives in storage or risk losing everything—a situation I never imagined I'd end up in."
Mary is considering casting her vote for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labour Party, as it appears poised to return to power. However, her enthusiasm falls flat for any of the major parties.
"I'll probably vote Labour, though neither party is doing enough," she told Al Jazeera, referring to Peter Dutton's conservative Liberal Party and the rural-focused National Party. "I find them opaque and untrustworthy, padding their pockets with taxes while the ordinary folks bear the brunt."
Affordable Housing: The Bloody Elephant in the Election Race
Property and rental prices have emerged as momentous issues in the election race, dominated by concerns over the consistently rising cost of living.
Australia, known for its obsession with property, boasts some of the priciest house prices globally, with Sydney ranking second-least affordable among 94 urban centers worldwide[3]. A typical household in Sydney requires approximately 280,000 AUD ($180,000) annual earnings to afford the median house price of 1.4 million AUD (US$0.9m)[3].
Both Labour and the Coalition have announced a bevy of housing policies to woo voters, but campaigners claim neither is ready to tackle the root causes of the problem.
Labour has pledged to construct 100,000 dwellings for first-time home buyers and boost financial assistance, whereas the Coalition has vowed to train more construction apprentices, invest in essential infrastructure, and allow younger Australians to withdraw their pensions early for housing deposits[3].
Both parties have also set their sights on foreign buyers and immigration, with Albanese recently announcing a two-year ban on non-citizens purchasing existing homes[3].
Economists have identified a paucity of supply as the fundamental cause of the housing crisis[3].
Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Australia had the least quantity of housing per capita among developed countries, with roughly 400 homes per 1000 people[4]. While the supply of housing has improved somewhat since then, it has fallen far short of meeting demand driven by record levels of inward migration[4].
The construction of social housing has languished, with 169,000 households on a waiting list for public housing in 2023, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare[5].
Yumi Lee, CEO of Older Women's Network NSW, asserted that many older women face more challenges in securing housing due to smaller pensions compared with their male counterparts[5].
"We're hailed as the 'lucky country,' but far too many older women are struggling to choose between necessities like food, medication, or rent — it's not a matter of luck, it's a matter of neglect," Lee told Al Jazeera[5].
Kris, a 71-year-old pensioner living in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, said she narrowly avoided homelessness last year after being forced to sell the family home following her divorce[5].
"I hear story after tale of these types of situations," Kris, who prefers to use a pseudonym, told Al Jazeera[5].
Experts suggest that a number of factors have aggravated the housing shortage, including NIMBYism, a lack of skilled workforce, and increasing scrutiny towards negative gearing, a tax relief policy that enables landlords to subtract losses incurred from their investment property[6].
After vowing to scale back negative gearing, Labour backtracked on the proposals following two consecutive election defeats[6].
Maiy Azize, spokesperson for the advocacy group Everybody's Home, noted that neither of the major parties appear willing to grasp the nettle[6].
"This crisis has taken decades to metastasize, and it's going to take decades to heal, but we need someone to step up and take the first steps," Azize told Al Jazeera[6].
Bernie Barrett, acting CEO of Better Renting, mentioned that a positive milestone would be for federal and state governments to establish jurisdictionally consistent rental laws[6].
"About 30 percent of Australians rent their homes, and their issues have largely been disregarded by politicians and policymakers," Barrett, who has rated Labour as "slow" and the Liberals as "getting worse" for rental policy progress, told Al Jazeera[6].
Andrea Leong, a 38-year-old renter and microbiologist living in Albanese's New South Wales electorate of Grayson, expressed feelings of neglect from both major parties[6].
"In Australia, we've been instilled with the belief that homeownership is the Australian dream. Renting is seen as an unfortunate or temporary state," Leong told Al Jazeera[6].
"I long for our Prime Minister and all parties to recognize that renting is a legitimate way to live."
[1] enrichment data about the root causes of the affordable housing crisis.
[2] enrichment data concerning the impact on older women.
[3] enrichment data regarding political and government responses.
[4] enrichment data about Australia's housing supply.
[5] enrichment data about the living conditions of older women.
[6] enrichment data about the political landscape and housing policies.
- Mary's voting decision is influenced by the rising cost of living, particularly unaffordable housing, which has become a significant issue in the election race.
- In Australia, property and rental prices are Momentous among general-news topics, with the obsession with property contributing to some of the priciest house prices globally.
- The persistent problem of unaffordable housing in Australia has emerged as a breaking news issue, with both major parties announcing various housing policies, but campaigners claim that neither is ready to tackle the root causes of the problem.
- Amidst the election race, the issue of immigration and foreign buyers has gained traction, with both Labor and the Coalition aiming to address this issue as a potential solution to the housing crisis.
