National housing campaign group Everybody's Home has called for a significant national social housing investment to capitalise on the profound commitments made by the Victorian Government in today's State budget.
Today's $5.3 billion Victorian budget boost to social housing will provide powerful support to jobs while fostering social and economic opportunity for thousands of Victorians. However, nationally almost one million Australians either have no secure home or struggle to pay their rent each week.
"We are in the middle of a pandemic where homelessness and rent stress is on the rise. There are hundreds of thousands of desperate people out there who deserve their own home. The Federal Government can build on the excellent work of Victoria by investing in social housing immediately. This would be a powerful boost to jobs while also helping to cut the growing social housing waiting list," said Kate Colvin, spokesperson for Everybody's Home.
"As a nation we are still spending more money on new roads than new social housing. We can do better.
"The Victorian Government today has demonstrated real leadership with funding 12,000 new social and affordable housing homes. Just imagine what could be achieved if the Federal Government also came on board. It could be legacy building."
Everybody's Home is calling on the Federal Government to create an additional 500,000 homes over 10 years.
Ms Colvin said: "The logic of building new, affordable homes is compelling. It would create a construction boom and many thousands of new jobs, as well as bringing stability to the lives of people in need. People are suffering more than ever due to COVID-19.
"The Government can step in and foster social stability and economic activity. It has an opportunity to act in the middle of a pandemic and show real leadership.
"Social housing has been stigmatised for far too long and today's announcement will hopefully be the start of a new chapter. The long-term gains easily outweigh the investment."
Everybody's Home, alongside national housing and homelessness peak bodies, has called for the Federal Government to invest in the Social Housing Acceleration and Renovation Program (SHARP) which would see 30,000 social housing homes built by 2024.
