The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) is calling for all parties to make crystal clear how they will deliver safe, secure and affordable housing for Australians who are priced out of the housing market, wondering how they can afford sky rocketing rents, or paying huge energy bills because their home is so poorly insulated.

“Over the last year rents and house prices have surged ahead of wages, and around one-third of people seeking help from homelessness services can’t get their immediate accommodation needs met, up by 29% from 2016. Even after receiving Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA), almost half of renters are still in housing stress” said Wendy Hayhurst, CHIA’s CEO.

She went onto say, “Recent research shows that underinvestment in social and affordable housing is costing us all tens of millions of dollars per year through the impact on health spending, justice services and employment levels. These costs will only go up, if we fail to act’.

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