Yes David, housing is one of the most crucial issues facing Australia.

For now, however, weak political leadership seems to be abandoning the growing minority facing much higher housing costs.

Rent assistance is too crude a device to work, for those it's intended to assist.
Increasing rent assistance will benefit landlords who will immediately jack-up rents to correspond accordingly. That's business!

Government guarantees for bank mortgages which assist underprivileged groups to join the housing market has long term benifits for society; negating the need for public housing and other useless quasi schemes such as rent assistance, which ultimatly, through the back door, benifits landlords.

Dan

Dan, so public housing is useless.

Can you explain examples of an alternative that works please.

I would ague that any housing scheme that involves government assistance is an example of public housing policy, so I am interested in any effective option.

Why is it that these bleeding hearts assume JobSeeker allowance is meant to be welfare for life. It is meant to be a short term form of assistance, while the recipient seriously looks for a job.

All too many of those you'll see surfing off Byron Bay or the Gold Coast beaches on weekdays are recipients of JobSeeker allowance, & increasing the payment would find considerably more paying lip service to looking for work. There are a large number of these around here, who with a day or 2 of cash in hand work, live very well, at honest workers expense.

i don't see doubling rent assistance as a viable long term answer.

as for welfare, i am also alarmed that some in my area may be getting the job keeper allowance and working elsewhere.

There has to be limits about how much money can be given away.

MORE RENT ASSISTANCE= HIGHER AND HIGHER RENTS! FACT OF (GREED IS GOOD) LIFE!

We can make a case for more charity and indeed, a huge increase in social housing via a huge increase in the deficit!

But none whatsoever for negative gearing and tax returns to shareholders who haven't paid tax!

Ditto subsidised super for those with the deepest pockets!

Absolutely all welfare during this time has to be reserved for the needy only, not the greedy, entitled, rich! Family trusts,etc/etc! And other similar, taxpayer-funded, rorts!?

It's already enough that we saddle future as yet unborn generations with a monumental, monolithic debt burden! Without adding to it to pad the large bank balances of the robber baron class!

And I know you know who I mean!

If we are to borrow from the future!? Then let us invest it in a far better future than the past we had for ourselves!
Rapid rail, and far, far cheaper power and carbon-free to boot! (can't died in a cornfield over a century ago)

And in so doing, create jobs and income opportunities for those willing to get in have a go and earn their money, via personal endeavour. not parasitical Ponzi schemes and their ilk! And let the rollout of vast public housing put downward pressure on house prices and rent! Future generations will thank us!

And let those that want to own houses pay for them with their own money, not that screwed from the, as yet unborn, taxpayers!
Alan B.

Hasbeen old mate. You are confused, jobkeeper is paid to employers to keep them afloat!

Whereas jobseeker is paid to those who have registered as unemployed jobseekers lining up in their millions for the dole! And don't you worry about that old mate, you are not being asked to pay for any of it, just a whole lot of folk, who haven't been born yet!

Wasn't nice to go for a drive and check-in with the rallies on mother's day?

I took the old Harley trike out and enjoyed the freedom of the open road, the wind in the hair and the flies in the teeth. Didn't mind the little peppery ones too much. But those blowies tasted like crap.

Take care and stay safe.
Alan B.

Chris L & Al B

Al, I mostly agree with you but public housing is not an all encompassing solution, so fails the useful test.

CL
An effective solution is to remove the dogs breakfast that is the current property market.

First home owner subsidies are a total non answer to housing Australians as well, since they act in the negative for those they are designed (sic) to advantage.

Cash subsidies by Government to renters and prospective property owners, increases costs to that group.

If rent subsidies were eliminated, the obvious result would be an ultimate reduction in rents. All subsidies are a distorting influence on the market. Get rid of them and do everyone a favour.

Dan

The first thing to consider about this single person on a Jobseeker allowance who can't afford to rent is, does this person have a family he or she could be helped by? Did he or she have to leave the family home? After all, adult children, we are told, are returning to the family hearth in droves as things get tougher (or more realistic than they were led to believe life really is).

Family first, kith and kin, blood relationships, should be the first port of call - not bludging on taxpayers who don't know you, and who have their own lives to live.

It pays to check just who makes these gimme, gimme pleas; and Mr. Hale has all the right socialist qualifications, plus pacifism, which is all about relying on others too.

HI David,

don't worry about ttbn.

He is On Line Opinion's online bully, a political keyboard warrior.

He specialises in insulting anyone and everyone that does not share his ideas.

He occasionally offers a good point, but then soon reverts back to his aggressive state.

All we (I) can hope for is that ttbn eventually finds happiness that can help temper his aggression.

Lewis,

There is nothing bullying or keyboard warrior-like about my post. The fact that you keep making these childish, wimpy accusations against me merely tells everyone that you have a personal problem with me and your lack of ability to deal with my perfectly legitimate opinions. I doubt that this contributor would feel any need for your girly commiserations, if he even reads them. With the number of contributions he has made, I'm sure he would be made of sterner stuff than you are.

All your bleating about bullies and keyboard warriors just makes makes you look pathetic. Unlike you, other posters here are sure of themselves and their opinions and beliefs, and don't need to make weepy little-boy comments about other people no matter what they might think.