Australia Senate inquiry finds housing crisis driving intergenerational inequity

A Senate inquiry into intergenerational housing inequity in Australia has highlighted how the housing crisis is affecting citizens across all age groups. The Select Committee on Intergenerational Housing Inequity issued 10 findings, noting that a decline in investment in public housing has exacerbated the crisis and contributed to rising inequality.

The committee found that rent increases have significantly outpaced wage growth, causing widespread anxiety regarding housing security. In response, the housing campaign group Everybody’s Home is calling for coordinated action from Federal, State, and Territory governments to implement rent caps and increase the national stock of social housing. Spokesperson Maiy Azize stated that renters are at a breaking point, often forced to choose between housing costs and essential needs like food or medicine.