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

If there's one thing that COVID-19 has taught us it's the critical importance of housing. While housing has been key to this health crisis it's also key to the nation's economic recovery. We didn't come to this crisis in very good shape. We had a diabolical underinvestment in social and affordable housing in particular. In the private sector, rents and housing prices have spiralled out of control leaving Australians struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

Shamefully, more Australians are now homeless than ever before. But now the future looks even more precarious. The pipeline and construction activity is drying up while more Australians are facing dire financial pressures than any other time in living memory. Historically housing construction has played a vital role in recovery from economic shocks. We need to increase housing supply, especially in social and affordable housing. We need to repair existing social housing stock, we need to boost construction activity and we need to protect jobs and drive local economic growth. That is why this week federal Labor called for a national housing stimulus plan to protect jobs, drive local economic activity and deliver on one of the most fundamental basic human rights and that is access to safe and secure housing for all our citizens.

The federal government desperately needs to take the lead and to work with the private sector and superannuation funds to invest in this critical area. Now is the time for this government to make amends for the last seven years of utter neglect.