Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader and Housing spokesperson
The Real Estate Institute of Australia’s latest Housing Affordability Report provides yet more evidence of the deepening housing crisis in Tasmania.
This report confirms the state’s rental affordability is the worst in the nation. While nationally the proportion of income required to meet rent repayments sits at 24%, in Tasmania it’s now at a shocking 29.5%. This is driving people into poverty and potential homelessness.
While the Premier says he doesn’t believe rents are too high, the average Tasmanian tenant has to use nearly a third of their income to keep a roof over their head. Distressingly, this situation is likely to worsen even further when federal government income support is terminated at the end of this month.
The latest data from SQM Research also shows rents continuing to soar, with rent for Hobart houses up 6%, and rent for Launceston houses up 5.5%, in the past three months alone.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of rental stress and intense financial hardship across the community, the Gutwein Government shamefully refuses to take any action to address this issue.
This is bordering on cruelty.
In the face of widespread difficulty in every corner of our community, and unequivocal data, Premier Peter Gutwein is making a choice to do nothing.
We’ll give the Premier and Parliament an opportunity to tackle soaring rental costs and avert a social crisis when Parliament returns.