The pressure on renters remains high and has been having an increasing impact on rural and regional areas.
Labor candidate for Clarence, Leon Ankersmit, highlights that this is seen in an ‘eight per cent increase in regional areas over just the last 12 months.’
Both Labor and The Greens have put out plans to address the housing crisis with The Greens proposing a $1 billion investment in social and public housing and Labor focussing on ‘immediate relief and fairer rules for renters’.
‘Grafton and Casino, they were the places where people could always find a place to live, but that’s no longers the case,’ said Mr Ankersmit.
‘I was on the executive of Anglicare for ten years so we’ve been talking about the rental crisis for at least that long. Charities have addressed the devastating impacts of poverty that results from rental stress, hoping for an intervention from government.
‘Over the last five years, the rental crisis has arrived in Grafton and Casino – which used to be affordable places. This is not because of the flood, though this has increased the pressure on housing stock, the rental crisis was here before that. It is because of the lack of investment in social housing over all these years.
‘For example, they sold housing stock in Sydney at Millers Point etc and raised hundreds of millions for affordable housing but that hasn’t been spent in rural areas. This is a Liberal-National government and this rental crisis in rural areas has crept in under the National’s watch.’
The median rent in regional NSW now $475 according to research by the Tenants Union. That has seen an eight per cent increase o the past year which is on top of the 28 per cent increase already experienced on pre-pandemic levels.
‘Almost two-thirds of low-income private renters are in rental stress – that is, paying more than 30 per cent of their income on rent each week,’ said Mr Ankersmit.
‘Labor understands owning a home has slipped out of reach for many, and more and more people are renting for life. Renters have been ignored and sidelined by this Government, which is why NSW Labor has a clear plan to offer immediate relief and fairer rules for renters. We will:
- establish a Rental Commissioner who will lead our rental reforms
- ban secret rent bidding
- outlaw evictions unless they are on reasonable grounds • make it easier for renters to apply to have a pet
- implement a portable bonds scheme allowing renters to transfer their bond to a new property giving them immediate cost of living relief
- introduce a mandatory requirement for 30 per cent of all homes built on surplus government land to be set aside for social, affordable and universal housing.’
Greens propose $1billion investment
The Greens Housing Rescue Plan that was launched last week in Lismore seeks to deliver 2,500 social and public homes across regional NSW with Jenny Leong MP, Greens NSW housing and Renters Spokesperson saying that,’ rents have been skyrocketing cross regional NSW and the impact if unregulated short-term holiday letting is adding fuel to an already red hot housing market.’
‘Regional communities are facing unprecedented climate impacts and off-the-charts housing stress. It is clear that this unacceptable housing situation cannot continue.’
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