The peak body for the building and construction industry today welcomes the announcement by the Albanese Government to create a new $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator and calls on the Senate to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund next week says Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn.
"The Accelerator is a crucial step towards addressing the persistent issue of housing affordability in the country.
"The Federal Government's dedication to collaborative efforts with industry stakeholders, as well as state and territory governments, to tackle the housing supply predicament is commendable.
"Australians are struggling with housing affordability, and this has persisted for decades due to a lack of supply keeping up with demand.
"Housing costs absorb substantial shares of household income and coupled with a difficult economic environment, this has major implications for living standards, quality of life and increased demand for social housing.
"Finding solutions to the issue of affordable housing is imperative as it poses one of the country's biggest challenges, and we must work together to address it.
"Master Builders forecasts we will fall short of the 200,000 homes needed a year to meet demand.
"Many obstacles, such as planning impediments and lengthy approvals processes, prevent the construction of necessary homes.
"To improve housing affordability, all levels of government must continue to work together to implement continuous land supply through rezoning and planning, and taxes on the development and buying process should be reduced.
"Over the last week we have seen various state governments make announcements that highlight the importance of tackling housing supply and affordability challenges.
"We must continue to pull all levers at our disposal. Master Builders urges the Senate to adopt a pragmatic approach in support of sensible reform and promptly pass the housing legislation next week.
"By working together and setting politics aside, government and industry can pave the way for a future where affordable housing is within reach for all Australians," said Ms Wawn.
