The Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM) welcomes the release of two important papers yesterday, the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (part G Housing and Homelessness)[1] and Anglicare Australia’s Reforming Rent Assistance[2] paper. Both reports demonstrate the increasing levels of housing stress, with rents in capital cities reaching record highs.
“Homelessness in our capital cities has been increasing significantly since 2001, and capital city Lord Mayors have long called for increased investment in social and affordable housing, along with a review of the Commonwealth Rent Assistance,” said CCCLM Chair, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sally Capp.
“These reports highlight the need for urgent action – Commonwealth Rent Assistance is simply not keeping up with rising rental prices”.
“The Federal Government should increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance so people on the lowest income levels can afford the basic costs of housing in the private rental market.”
The CCCLM again repeats its call on the Federal Government to review programs and policies to ensure adequate support programs are in place. This includes the Commonwealth Rent Assistance program and relevant Centrelink policies that contribute to housing stress and homelessness, such as welfare policies and proof of identity practices to ensure the most vulnerable people in our cities can access social security.
[1] G Housing and homelessness – Report on Government Services 2023 – Productivity Commission (pc.gov.au) [2] Latest figures show that it’s time to fix Commonwealth Rent Assistance – Anglicare Australia