22 November 2024
The Greens are calling for the Malinauskas Government to back a rent freeze in State Parliament, as new data reveals rental affordability in SA is at its lowest level in a decade.
Key points:
- Data from the SGS Economics and Planning reveals that Adelaide has fallen by 8% on the Rental Affordability Index over the last year, with renters in Greater Adelaide spending 30% of income on rents (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-22/rent-prices-rise-most-unaffordable-in-perth-sydney/104628492).
- The Greens have a Private Member’s Bill before State Parliament that would freeze rent prices for the next 2 years and cap any future increases in line with CPI
- Data released by the Greens in October showed SA renters would have saved over $544 million in the previous 12 months if a rent freeze had been in place
Quotes attributable to Greens SA Housing Spokesperson, Robert Simms MLC:
“We are in the midst of a rental affordability crisis. When confronting a crisis of this scale, you need to do things differently.”
“During times of crisis in the past rent freezes have been effective. We had a moratorium on rent hikes at the height of the COVID pandemic for instance. As prices continue to soar more and more South Australians are being plunged into poverty and are at risk of homelessness. The Government needs to take action. Leaving renters to the mercy of the market isn’t acceptable. Housing should be about people, not profit.”
“I have a bill before Parliament that would freeze rents for 2 years and help get this crisis under control. We could make this law, with the support of the Labor Government and I’m calling on them to work with the Greens to make this happen.”