The Australian Greens are calling for the National Cabinet to implement a nationwide rent freeze and a moratorium on evictions for the duration of the fuel crisis.
Australian households are being pushed to the brink as a result of the fuel crisis driven by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with renters the least able to absorb the shock of price spikes in essentials.
Renters are already struggling with big rent increases and record low vacancy rates. Nationwide rents surged more than 5 per cent over the past year. Now, they're facing higher prices for essential transport, food and services - with many households just one rent increase away from eviction or homelessness.
During the COVID pandemic, the Victorian government implemented a 12 month freeze on rent increases as well as an eviction moratorium, to ensure housing precarity didn't become a homelessness epidemic at a time of global economic instability.
The Australian Greens are calling on the Federal Government to work with states and territories to again provide this critical security for renters during the fuel crisis.
As stated by Greens Leader Larissa Waters:
"Renters around the country are facing some of the worst housing insecurity in living memory," said the Greens Leader on Thursday.
"The fuel crisis has turbocharged a housing affordability crisis, with rents soaring, vacancy rates plummeting and house prices continuing to skyrocket.
"There are queues around the corner for tiny, overpriced apartments in every capital city in the country and outside the city the situation is often even more dire. Many people are facing a really terrifying reality that in the coming months they'll simply have nowhere to live.
"We saw a rare example during COVID of a government doing their job and protecting renters from the volatility of global economic circumstances by putting a ban on rent increases and evictions. There's nothing stopping that happening again.
"If the PM doesn't use national cabinet to coordinate these national protections for renters, he will have to answer for massive rent hikes and evictions on top of inflation and cost of living in the coming months of this crisis."
As stated by Greens spokesperson for finance, housing and homelessness Senator Barbara Pocock:
"People are already experiencing financial stress, struggling to make ends meet. This sensible, immediate cost-of-living rent relief will support people with the least secure housing.
"Too many households are just one rent increase away from eviction or homelessness. A rent freeze and ban on evictions will give people the security they need in a cost of living and fuel crisis.
"Trump and Netanyahu's war on Iran is causing economic pain for Australians. While Labor gives tax breaks to price gouging corporations and wealthy property investors, ordinary Australians are literally paying the price.
"Rents are rising at record rates forcing people to spend more than 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads.
"We've protected renters before and we can do it again. During the COVID pandemic, the Victorian Labor Government introduced a 12 month rent freeze and the Morrison Government coordinated a national eviction moratorium. There's no reason why the Labor Government can't do the same to help renters struggling right now."
