[Greens-Media] Abbott’s razor gang can’t hide the housing crisis

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Abbott’s razor gang can’t hide the housing crisis
Australian Greens housing spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam. 8 November 2013.

The Abbott Government’s frenzy of cuts will wipe out Australia’s only independent housing supply research body, the Greens warned today.

“For many Australians today rents are at crisis point and home ownership well beyond their means – the Abbott Government’s plan to abolish the National Housing Supply Council will make the situation worse,” said Greens spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

“The National Housing Supply Council is the only body providing reliable information on Australia’s housing crisis.  It is the only body that measures Australia’s housing supply gap, and it provides vital intelligence to governments and the housing sector.

“The Council costs only around 800 thousand dollars a year to run – yet its State Of Supply reports are critical to informing housing policy.  Mr Abbott has no minister for housing, no policy on housing, and now wants no data on housing in Australia.  There are 225,000 families, couples and singles on Australia’s social housing waiting list – and Mr Abbott is turning his back on them and many others.

“This isn’t a saving – it’s a disaster.  Mr Abbott is swinging the axe at the Council not because he needs to find an extra $800,000 – but because he doesn’t want an organisation that rings the warning bell on the nation’s worsening housing crisis.

“Mr Abbott said today that the ‘problem’ has been resolved. It hasn’t been resolved for the 105,000 homeless Australians. It hasn’t been resolved for the 225,000 households on the social housing wait list. It hasn’t been resolved for the millions of Australian renters for whom the dream of home ownership has become a distant mirage.

“Mr Abbott claimed the Housing Supply Council is ‘redundant’.  Homelessness is growing.  The social housing wait lists are growing.  The housing crisis is getting worse, but the Prime Minister has no housing minister and no housing policy, and now claims the most important advisory body on housing is redundant.”

The Greens launched a series of affordable housing initiatives during the 2013 election campaign, while the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to sign a pledge to halve homelessness by 2020.

“The Government knows what needs to be done to tackle the housing crisis – but they refuse, and now they’re trying to cover it up; but you can’t silence the millions of Australians struggling to keep a roof over their heads,” said Senator Ludlam.


Greens plan to boost social housing supply - http://greensmps.org.au/social-housing%20

The plan to increase affordable rentals - http://greensmps.org.au/rental-revolution

Greens ‘No one left behind’ homelessness action plan - http://greensmps.org.au/homeless


Contact:  Giovanni Torre – 0417 174 302