Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) more than 140,000 Australians were on social housing waitlists in June 2018;

(b) the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has identified a shortfall of 433,000 social housing dwellings over the next 20 years;

(c) much of Australia's existing social housing stock is in dire need of maintenance and repairs; and

(d) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has urged the Government to consider investment in social housing as a means of protecting Australia's economy from the impacts of COVID-19;

(2) recognises the success of Labor's $5 billion investment to build 20,000 new social housing dwellings and renovate a further 80,000, as a key economic stimulus measure during the global financial crisis; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

(a) ensure that stimulus measures are focused on delivering maximum ongoing public benefit; and

(b) work with the private and community sectors and superannuation funds to invest in more social housing and repair existing social housing.

Report after report has shown that investment in social housing is critical to Australia's post-COVID-19 social and economic recovery. That's why I have moved this motion. Social housing is in urgent need of direct public investment, and we need national leadership to make this happen.

Australians are currently living through some of the most dire social and economic conditions in living memory. We are facing what could be the deepest recession in a century. More than half a million jobs have disappeared already and, based on the government's own projections, we're set to lose another 400,000 jobs by Christmas. Key industries have been smashed. The housing construction sector, an important marker of the health of any economy, is heading for a 27 per cent collapse according to Master Builders Australia. Tragically, the Morrison government's attempt at a housing stimulus package—the so-called HomeBuilder scheme—has been almost completely ineffectual. Let's face it, a program that hands out $25,000 grants for renovations costing more than $150,000, or a new home build costing more than $750,000, was never going to hit the mark, in terms of the unmet need for social housing. Recently, I've been deputy chairing the parliamentary inquiry into homelessness and we looked closely at the HomeBuilder scheme. It's fair to say the verdict wasn't good, with consecutive witnesses telling the committee what a lemon it is. They reaffirmed the sentiment of the Grattan Institute's Brendan Coates, who said the scheme is 'retail politics but lousy economics'. They confirmed the reality that it's too small and too complex and will come too late to save many of the hundreds of thousands of tradie jobs that are at risk. Indeed, three months into the six-month window for the HomeBuilder grants, the scheme has accepted less than 250 applications. For a national scheme that purports to be helping the residential construction sector get through this pandemic, this take-up rate is appalling.

Witnesses also drove home the reality that much of the public money would be handed out to private property owners for projects they were going to do anyway. But, most importantly, witnesses lamented that the $688 million dollar program fundamentally fails to deliver any direct or lasting community benefit. While property owners will qualify for a $25,000 government grant, there's nothing for the Australians who need housing most. There's not a cent to help women and children fleeing domestic violence, people sleeping rough, young Australians, essential workers or those who lose their jobs. They miss out entirely. In fact, HomeBuilder provides zero ongoing public benefit to Australian taxpayers, which is something that should be non-negotiable with any government investment of this size.

In stark contrast to HomeBuilder, the committee heard evidence from many witnesses that there is a way to make a real difference, and that is by increasing public investment in social housing. Of course this makes perfect sense. There has never been a better time to take advantage of record low interest rates to boost our national social and affordable housing supply. That's why federal Labor has been calling for the federal government to deliver a national housing stimulus plan, with a focus on social housing for months. This call has been echoed by economists, housing sector experts and community advocates alike. In my community, I'd particularly like to recognise Compass Housing, Nova For Women and Children, the Samaritans and the Committee for the Hunter, who have all been strong advocates for greater investment in social and affordable housing.

We know that investment in social housing works, because we've already done it. Indeed, the former Labor government invested more than $5 billion in the construction of nearly 20,000 new social housing dwellings and repaired a further 80,000 existing public housing properties as part of its response to the global financial crisis. So, the way forward is clear. Now we have a golden opportunity not only to create jobs and drive economic activity but also protect an ever-growing number of vulnerable Australians. This is now in the hands of the government. Programs to build social housing are a long-term investment in a prosperous and fair society, but we need national leadership to make this happen. Will the Morrison government listen to the experts? Will it give up its addiction to transferring public wealth into private hands? Will it instead act in the national interest? It is time for this government to act. Everybody needs a home, Mr Morrison.

See this speech in context