A majority of voters in the seat of Longman believe the federal government has failed to confront the housing rental crisis, with a new opinion poll showing people want greater investment in social and affordable housing, amid skepticism that first home owner grants can fix the problem.
The Everybody's Home campaign is today releasing the results of a survey of 1025 voters in the swing seat of Longman and separate analysis of wage and rent data in the same electorate.
It shows the surge in rental prices is swallowing an ever larger chunk of the wages of those who've had some of the most difficult jobs during the pandemic, in aged care, child care and supermarkets.
An overwhelming majority of respondents (72 per cent) thought it was either 'hard' or 'very hard' for people on low-to-middle incomes to buy in their community, while 75 per cent thought it was either 'hard' or 'very hard' for people on low-to-middle incomes to rent in their community.
A very strong majority (63 per cent) believed the federal government had not done enough to address housing affordability. An even larger majority (70%) thought there was not enough social and affordable housing for people struggling in the housing market.
Respondents preferred social and affordable housing (24 per cent) or greater financial support for low-income renters (30 per cent) as solutions to the crisis over first home owner grants (14 per cent).
"The housing affordability crisis is absolutely top of mind in Longman. Politicians who propose solutions that work, such as more social and affordable housing, will successfully connect with voters," said Kate Colvin, national spokesperson for Everybody's Home. "Voters are rejecting band-aid solutions like first home owner grants because they know we need to give renters on low and modest incomes the stability of a secure home."
Wage and rent data demonstrates the cause of the problem. According to SQM data, rents in the Sunshine Coast and Northern Brisbane have soared 20 per cent and 14.7 per cent. The average child care, aged care or supermarket worker on the Sunshine Coast now forks out more than three quarters of their weekly pay on rent . In Northern Brisbane it is close to 60 per cent.
"Rents have surged while incomes have barely budged," Kate Colvin said. "An ever-greater chunk of wages is going to rent and it's pushing people in key jobs like aged care, child care and supermarkets to the brink of homelessness and poverty.
"People on modest incomes now have to fight tooth and nail to get a home and maintain it. It shouldn't be this difficult to keep a roof over your head in a wealthy country like Australia."
