by Cam Lucadou-Wells
Federal candidates know there’s a housing crisis in Casey and Greater Dandenong – the question is what will they do about it.
A Salvation Army ‘snapshot’ of the Bruce electorate states about 1878 people are experiencing homelessness, with an unmet housing need of 4200 dwellings.
Housing affordability and homelessness was the No.1 issue according to its survey respondents in Bruce.
About 72 per cent identified it as a community issue and 40 per cent as an issue for themselves.
“Not having a safe and secure home makes every part of life more difficult,” the report stated.
According to Greater Dandenong Council, just 6 per cent of rentals are affordable to low-income earners.
In the state’s latest Rental Report, median rents in Greater Dandenong soared about $70 a week to $520 – a 16 per cent rise – in the 12 months up to September 2024.
Over the same 12 months, median rents in Casey rose $66 to $576 a week – up 13 per cent.
In the past three years, Greater Dandenong median rents have risen 42 per cent and Casey by 29 per cent.
Greens candidate Rhonda Garad said it was “truly shocking that most young people living in Bruce have almost no chance of buying a house here”.
“We are seeing the rise of the ‘forever renter’. A generation is being locked out of home ownership and nearly 40 per cent of Australians are now unlikely to ever buy a home.
“With the average deposit for a house now reaching $230,000, it takes over a decade for the average person to save for a home.
“Young people can no longer afford to rent near their families and are if they are able to buy, they are further out on the city fringes, often without the family and social support they need to raise their children.”
The Greens are proposing a cap on rent increases – tying them to the cost-of-living.
It also would require big banks to offer discount mortgages to first-home buyers and owner-occupiers, limit tax handouts after one investment property and phase out negative gearing and capital gains tax discounts.
The Greens would also directly build affordable, social housing – as a first step for first homebuyers to save for their first home, Garad said.
It would also establish a National Renters Protection Authority.
Liberal candidate Zahid Safi said “every day locals tell me they are struggling as a result of Labor’s housing crisis”.
Under the Government, interest rates had gone up 12 times with only one cut – resulting in people paying on average an extra $41,000 in interest, he said.
He also targeted recent migrant increases and Victoria being on track to fall 71,000 short of national housing targets by 2029.
The Coalition’s plan is to unlock 500,000 new homes in its $5 billion Housing Infrastructure Program.
It would also reduce migration to “sensible levels”.
A two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes would free up more than 40,000 dwellings in its first year, Safi said.
The Coalition would also allow first home buyers to access up to $50,000 of their own superannuation to help buy their home.
Bruce Labor MP Julian Hill labelled the Liberals’ Super for Housing policy as “possibly the dumbest housing policy ever”.
“It will literally push up housing prices by around 10 per cent and drain young people’s retirement savings”.
He says only his party has “actual serious policies” to address the national housing crisis.
“After nine years of no action on housing supply under the Liberals, it’s been a tough time for renters and potential first home buyers, along with mortgage-stressed homeowners, as the Reserve Bank raised interest rates to get inflation down.”
He says the Government is tackling housing supply “from all possible angles”, while noting interest rates has started to fall, migration is falling, wages are rising and tax cuts are helping.
More than 100,000 first home buyers saved an average of $15,000 under the government’s Home Guarantee scheme.
Its new Help to Buy scheme, starting this year, would cut first home buyers’ mortgages by an average of $150,000.
Labor was also committed to building 1.2 million homes by 2030, including 55,000 social and affordable rentals as well as training more tradies with Fee Free TAFE and apprentice incentive payments.
Hill says the Government is cracking down on foreign investors, banning foreign purchases of established dwellings from 1 April 2025.
“Yet the Greens political party voted with the Liberals against these initiatives in Parliament.”
Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize of Everybody’s Home described the election debate so far as “dispiriting”, with nothing new announced by the Government.
She called for action to address a 640,000-dwelling shortfall in social, affordable housing, as well as capital gains tax reform.
She welcomed the Greens policies on public developer support and tax reform – though she didn’t agree with the one-investment property exemption.
St Vincents de Paul called on the Government to double the Housing Australia Future Fund, reform taxes to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land, and increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
Housing Industry Association supported the Coalition’s Super for Housing policy, and urged expansion of the Home Guarantee Scheme, Help-to-Buy and First Home Super Saver schemes.
