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Issue No. 228 | 09 July 2004 |
Thai-ed in Knots
Interview: Power and the Passion Unions: Tackling the Heavy Hitters Industrial: Seeing the Forest For The Wood Housing: Home Truths International: Boycott Busters Economics: Ideology and Free Trade History: Long Shadow of a Forgotten Man Review: Chewing the Fat Poetry: Dear John
Politics The Soapbox The Locker Room Postcard
Libs have Got To Go A Boring Bastard A Home Of Their Own
Labor Council of NSW |
Letters to the Editor A Home Of Their Own
Good to see that the housing issue is on the agenda. And John Sutton's arguments are good. I was at the Housing Affordability summit and can recommend you advise people to access the other papers on their web. Please access the excellent papers on www.housingsummit.org.au/a> The research presented is startling on the need; there is a crisis 1. For the homeless, over 100,000 homeless every night, a national scandal, with 200 children seeking emergency shelter but none available; 2. Over a million of the working poor in housing poverty; in housing stress because as low income earners, they have to pay well over 30% of income on rent in the private rental market and can't get into public housing; 3. low income earners unable to get home ownership. The Howard government (with no rep attending, no Housing Minister) is walking away from capital funding to build homes through state housing trusts, so Australia urgently requires: a National Affordability Housing Agreement.The supply of affordable housing is critical. Increased public investment for affordable housing beginning with an extra $500 million; a Public Sector Housing renewal Fund and an Affordable Housing Innovations Fund; Reform to the tax system to improve equity and efficiency of their impact on housing affordability; it is amazing how there is more assistance to the upper classes!; a national strategy for land and infrastructure planning.; a National Housing Minister and Housing policy; targeted First Home Buyers grant;...and much more. The Summit was supportive of the Options paper available. Chair Professor Julian Disney will be preparing a final summary soon. As this an election year, the issue of housing affordability has to be on the national agenda. The Howard government has again been most mean in a rich society! The PM is a housing subsidised tenant, and lives in Public Housing! And the poor can't get a decent home! We await with interest the details of Mark Latham's policy. See also: the National Shelter Policy Platform; the Australian Federation of Homelessness Organisations; ACOSS and ACTU policies. regards, Chris White
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