Affordable futures
Solving the housing and cost of living crisis
Affordable living is not a luxury - it’s a necessity
Australians are facing a housing affordability and cost-of-living crisis. Families are struggling with rising home prices, unaffordable rents, and increasing costs for essentials like energy, food, and healthcare. To address these challenges, we must prioritise housing as a fundamental right, boost affordable supply, lower construction costs, and implement bold solutions to reduce living expenses for all Australians.
Why does ending the cost of living crisis matter?
Australians are feeling the strain: Rising housing costs, unaffordable rents, and increasing prices for essentials like food, healthcare, and energy are placing immense pressure on people and families across Australia.
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Strengthening the economy: Affordable living boosts productivity and economic stability. It allows Australians to spend less on necessities and more on education, investment, and personal development -leading to a more skilled, productive workforce. Lower living costs also reduce financial stress, increase disposable income, boosting consumer spending.
My action plan
Housing for people, not profits
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Reprioritising housing as a right: Implement policies to curb speculative property investments that inflate housing prices, such as limiting purchases by large investors or overseas buyers unless they contribute directly to the housing supply.
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Strengthen rules on landlords and rights for renters to ensure fair rents and proper maintenance of rental properties.
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Global cooperation for fair housing practices: Learn from globally leading nations like Singapore and Germany that have successfully reduced housing inflation through innovative policies such as government-built affordable housing and urban planning reforms. Advocate for a global housing pact that prioritises housing as a fundamental right globally while sharing knowledge on policy tools to discourage speculative practices.
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Boost affordable and Sustainable Housing Supply
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Increase the supply of affordable land: Partner with state governments to identify and repurpose underutilised or government-owned land for affordable housing projects. Collaborate with local councils to expedite zoning reforms and incentivise regional development, ensuring equitable housing access across urban and rural areas.
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Reduce construction costs: noting that the majority of construction costs (typically >70% come from labour and materials). We can lower construction costs by adopting prefabricated methods (as seen in Japan and Sweden) and bulk purchasing agreements for construction materials at a National level.
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Strengthen sustainability standards for new homes: ensuring energy efficiency and reduced operational costs.
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Fast-track approvals for affordable housing: Streamline approval processes for projects that meet affordability and sustainability criteria.
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Reducing Living Costs
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Driving Australian energy costs down: Australians deserve affordable energy, yet the government spends approximately $14.5 billion annually subsidising more expensive fossil fuel industries, including exports. Subsidising fossil fuels for export contributes to higher domestic energy prices by linking local costs to volatile global markets. Previously, Australia's domestic gas prices were separate from global markets to ensure affordability, but since 2015, they have been linked to international prices. This means Australians now pay global rates, exposing them to price surges like those seen during the Russia-Ukraine war, while taxpayer subsidies continue to support fossil fuel exports instead of lowering domestic energy costs or investing in renewables. By ending these subsidies, we can prioritise affordable energy for Australians and redirect funds toward cost-effective renewable energy infrastructure and modernised grid systems. These investments lower household bills, reduce market volatility, and build a sustainable energy future for all.
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Affordable, healthy food: Introduce a levy on highly processed, unhealthy foods to directly subsidise locally grown healthy food staples for Australians and invest in streamlining supply chains to reduce costs. Also use these subsidies to directly support local growers of fruits, vegetables, and grains, making nutritious diets more affordable for Australians. These measures not only lower food prices but also decrease diet-related healthcare burdens, benefiting the entire system.
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Preventative and accessible healthcare: Shift funding priorities toward preventative healthcare measures, such as regular check-ups, early intervention programs, and public health campaigns that address common health challenges before they escalate. Use levy from highly processed & unhealthy foods to provide greater coverage for out-of-pocket medical expenses, including GP visits, mental health support, and diagnostic tests, to make healthcare more accessible. By focusing on prevention and affordability, these reforms reduce hospital pressures, improve outcomes, and lower long-term healthcare costs.
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Strengthen National Efforts
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Support the national housing and homelessness plan and advocate for measurable targets and stronger sustainability guidelines.
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Affordable living is not a luxury - it’s a necessity.
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