Howard Fails Brunswick Renters

In Brunswick and across Australia, people on low incomes are finding it harder and harder to find affordable accommodation.

The Brumby Government is doing its bit, spending an extra $500 million over four years to build more affordable homes.

But the Howard Government has cut funding to public housing and has failed to do anything to make it easier for low-income families in private rental. These figures are a result of 11 years of the Howard Government neglecting low-income renters across Australia and refusing to put in place a national housing strategy.

The latest quarterly statistics show that median rents for a three bedroom house in Brunswick have risen from $280 per week in June 2005 to $370 in June 2007 – a 32% increase in two years. The statistics also show that median rents for a two bedroom flat have risen from $200 in June 2005 to $263 in June 2007 – a 32% increase in two years.

Interest rates are rising and the cost of renting a home continues to increase but the Howard Government continues to sit on its hands.
The Federal Government’s Rent Assistance scheme was not keeping pace within the increasing cost of renting. Even after Rent Assistance, over one-quarter of all recipients are still in housing stress – spending over 30 per cent of their income on rent. Only 27.5 per cent of new lettings in this quarter were affordable to people on low-incomes, the lowest rate in eight years.
John Howard says there is no housing crisis. John Howard is out of touch and must act now on Housing Affordability.

The Rental Report is produced for the Government each quarter by the Victorian Office of Housing and is based on data from the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority.
The full report is available online at www.housing.vic.gov.au