your guide to talking housing at home

Right now, millions of people in this country are struggling to pay their rent or save up enough to afford their mortgage on a first house.

But talking about this huge crisis can sometimes hide just how close to home the housing crisis truly is.

It’s you. Your housemates. Your mum. Your elderly neighbour. Ordinary people in this country are struggling with the cost of simply keeping a roof over their head at a scale many have not experienced in their lifetime.

And the latest Newspoll from earlier this week proves it. Housing is the number 1 cost of living concern for Australians at the moment.

Our volunteers have been having thousands of conversations with renters, first home buyers, and those struggling to repay their mortgage across the country over the last year.

Here’s some familiar situations you might find yourself in to start these conversations with your friends and family:

The young renter whose landlord or real estate agent refuses to make basic repairs.

We’ve all been here before! Maybe it’s a leaky roof, black mould in the bathroom or an AC unit that won’t work in the middle of summer.

You’re always weighing up whether to ask for the issue to be fixed with the risk they might suddenly evict you for politely requesting the bare minimum.

At the moment, there’s no one fighting in the corner of renters. Even where minimum standards exist, it’s a huge ask for a tenant already struggling to make ends meet to take their much wealthier landlord or agent to court.

You could ask this renter:

“Don’t you reckon the government should be fighting to protect your rights so you aren’t screwed over by your landlord?”

The Greens launched a plan earlier this month to do just that, with a National Renters Protection Authority that can fine landlords and agents, while advocating for renters.

The young family who are trying to save enough for a down payment on a first home.

House prices and interest rates are out of control.

You would need to be earning well over $150,000 to afford a deposit on a median-priced home in most capital cities right now – the highest being almost $240,000 in Sydney.

Ask that young parent:

“Did you know the government will give $176 billion in tax breaks to wealthy property investors over the next decade, driving up prices and making it harder for you to afford your first home?”

We’ve found that a switch flicks on for most ordinary renters and first home buyers when they hear this number. It makes it clear just how badly this Labor Government is leaving them behind.

The older lifelong renter who just wants a decent, long-term rental.

There are many older Australians that have rented for decades and just want some stability and security in their home.

Yet so many of them (especially women) are being forced into homelessness because they’re faced with an impossible rent hike. No one deserves to be forced out of a home they’ve lived in for decades.

Many would remember the days that Labor used to champion housing, but now feel conflicted as Labor backs investors and developers over everyday people like them.

You could ask them:

“Don’t you think you deserve more security at home? Why aren’t the Labor Government making unlimited rent increases illegal?”

A rent freeze and cap is just one plank in the Greens’ plan for renters – alongside access to 5-year leases, a guaranteed right to lease renewal, and minimum heating and cooling standards.

The parent who wants their kids to be able to afford a home of their own one day.

The federal government used to be one of the biggest builders of housing, ensuring there was a good supply of quality homes to provide competition with the private market.

That meant it was pretty rare for parents’ kids to be living at home well into their late 20s and 30s.

But over the last few decades under both Labor and Liberal governments, the government has virtually stopped playing this essential role in our housing system. Now, they build just 4% of all new homes.

You could spark a conversation with that parent by asking:

“Have you noticed it’s harder for young people to get into a home these days? Don’t you reckon the government should be doing more to build public and affordable housing, like they used to do?”

An essential service should never be left to the private market. That’s why the Greens want to set up a public property developer to get the government back in the business of building housing.