Notes on Adelaide podcast: Give Me Shelter

In this week’s episode, we talk to two community leaders who believe South Australia’s housing crisis has become an emergency and – like other emergencies such as floods or bushfires – requires an immediate response.

Finding shelter from an unfolding social disaster

An emergency response and lateral thinking is needed to accommodate people and families locked out of rental housing and home ownership, argues Alice Clark.

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Housing is a right, not a luxury

Thousands of South Australians are left out in the cold by a lack of public housing, rentals and skyrocketing real estate prices. Michelle Gegenhuber argues that action to provide a roof over people’s heads is good economic and social policy.

Social housing helps economy as well as renters

Investing in housing helps not only the low-income and those in rental stress but creates jobs to build an appreciating asset, writes Greg Ogle.

Low-income rental market lockout despite Centrelink boost

Australia’s housing system is a “ticking time bomb” with only one percent of single welfare recipients able to afford a rental property before payment cuts, according to a charity’s report.

Government considering rent relief deal for households, business

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann is hopeful the national cabinet can strike a deal to take pressure off businesses being forced to pay rent for their workplaces, even if they have shut down because of the coronavirus.

Mortgage debt and rent hitting retirees and federal budget

The number of older Australians still paying off mortgages or renting well into their sixties is soaring. Besides the impact on lives and household finances, the trend has serious implications for federal budgets and housing policy, argues Rachel Ong ViforJ, Gavin Wood, Melek Cigdem-Bayram and Silvia Salazar.