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Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH), a group representing 60 national housing and welfare bodies, said on Monday the government had to show leadership on the issue.
"Housing is the biggest single expense in Australia and that means that is putting pressure on the other basics like food, like clothing and transport costs," AAH spokesperson Sarah Toohey told reporters at the launch of its campaign in Canberra on Monday.
"We know this is a problem for most households in Australia and we're here to ask the government to make changes that make housing more affordable."
Ms Toohey pointed to analysis compiled by the group showing that house prices had risen by 146 per cent over the past 10 years, which more than outstripped a 57 per cent increase in household incomes.
Over the past five years rents had lifted by twice the rate of inflation, she added.
"Households are paying more than they can afford for housing, with over 740,000 renters and more than 380,000 mortgaged home owners reporting significant financial stress," Ms Toohey said.
AAH is proposing a number of measures to lower housing costs, including boosting low cost rental housing stock, changing housing tax investment arrangements for residential property, providing more help for low income households to buy property and increasing home construction.
While governments at all levels offer housing-related programs, such as the federal government's $7000 first home owners grant, AAH claims these efforts are often contradictory and not effective.
The grant to first home buyers had not made housing more affordable, Ms Toohey said.
First home buyers as a share of total home loans issued was 15.2 per cent in July, below the 20-year average of 19.9 per cent, official data showed earlier this month.
The average home loan for a first time buyer was $282,700 in July, a 75 per cent increase on the 20-year average of $161,700.
Ms Toohey said the group hoped to meet Housing Minister Jenny Macklin in the future. |
