Submission to the ‘Inquiry into the worsening rental crisis’

PIAC made a submission to the inquiry into the worsening rental crisis in Australia conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs. We also appeared at the NSW hearing of the inquiry. The Hansard transcript is available.

Housing and homelessness legislation and policy is predominantly a State prerogative, but there are policy levers the federal Government can use to address the rental crisis in Australia and improve the experience of people who rent their home and end homelessness.

This includes the upcoming National Housing and Homelessness Strategy (NHHS) and associated finance mechanisms for the States to deliver housing and homelessness strategies, delivery of social and affordable housing, Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) policy reform, leadership to promote tenancy law reform and housing taxation policy settings. PIAC advocates for a housing system that provides a safe, secure, affordable home for all and ensures any experience of homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurrent.

We make recommendations to address unsustainable rent rises through better regulation of rent increases, end no-grounds evictions and provide security of tenure for renters, and to deliver secure and affordable homes for people who are unable to access adequate housing in the private rental market.