Perth Voice Interactive

A LOT has been said these last few weeks in Canberra about the housing crisis but here in Perth, we are living it. It’s not academic or theoretical, it’s a harsh reality that is not going away.

Nearly half of all the people in inner Perth are renters, and a staggering 25 per cent of them are facing ‘rental stress’ due to high rental costs. Simply put, many people are struggling to pay rent, and homeowners may have neighbours, friends or family members who are just one setback away from eviction.

It never had to come to this.

Governments from both major parties have played their part in perpetuating a rental system that does not prioritise the needs of renters. Rather, it functions exactly as it was designed to – for the benefit of corporate landlords and property developers.

For decades the Labor and Liberal parties have passed each other on a downward spiral to see who could further commodify our housing market, resulting in a system that is out of control and in desperate need of intervention.

Consider the staggering rent increases in various Perth suburbs: East Perth has seen a nearly $200 per week rise in the median rent, Joondanna 15 per cent, Dianella 17 per cent, and in Stirling the median rent is almost $700. 

Dangerous

Such increases are not just unsustainable; they are downright dangerous.

I have spent the past few months with teams of volunteers, going door-to-door, in our local community and listening to heartbreaking rental stories.

People are forced to make impossible choices between rent and medicine, living in fear of exorbitant rent increase notices that push them deeper into anxiety, debt, or even homelessness.

People have been demanding action from their governments for months, yet all they receive are empty platitudes. 

It’s no surprise when we discover that politicians from both major parties have accepted tens of thousands of dollars in donations from property developers, real estate companies, and corporate landlords to fund their campaigns.

My Greens colleagues and I have taken the voices and stories of our community to the Federal Parliament, advocating for straightforward policy actions that could help alleviate this crisis and provide relief to renters.

Firstly, we want to see an immediate national rental freeze similar to what was implemented during the early days of the pandemic. This freeze will prevent evictions and halt the dangerous rate hikes that are leaving so many without a place to call home.

Additionally, we advocate for limitations on the amount and frequency of rental hikes to ensure the financial accessibility and sustainability of our city for all renters.

The Greens believe there should be a guaranteed minimum annual spending of $2.5 billion on public, community and affordable housing, starting now.

We could do all this by ending the stage 3 tax cuts which predominantly benefit the wealthiest Australians, and by ending the AUKUS deal, which will see nearly $380 billion given to American and UK weapons manufacturers.

Instead, the government has chosen to engage in gutter politics and name-calling, while our community suffers.

It’s time for the Labor Party to abandon the toxic politics and the divisive media segments, and instead come to the negotiating table to deliver meaningful and transformative housing reforms.

By doing so, we can make a positive impact on the lives of tens of thousands of people in our Perth community.

by JORDAN STEELE-JOHN