<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/19/migrants-being-scapegoated-as-cause-of-australias-housing-crisis-in-disturbing-trend-groups-say>
"More than 40 housing and welfare groups say they are concerned migrants are
being scapegoated as the main reason for Australia’s housing crisis, calling on
the prime minister and opposition leader to show leadership on the issue.
The organisations – which include the Australian Council of Social Services,
the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia and National Shelter
– say decades of poor policy choices by successive governments, including
investor tax incentives and the chronic undersupply of social housing, have
fuelled the crisis.
They point to fresh analysis from SQM Research that shows weekly asking rents
rose by $84 nationally in the two-year period when Australia’s borders were
closed between March 2020 and February 2022. That was higher than the $69
increase in the entire decade prior between March 2010 and March 2020.
In a letter to Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, the groups said: “We write
following the rise in disturbing rhetoric linking Australia’s migration levels
to the current housing crisis. We are deeply concerned that migrant communities
are being scapegoated as the primary reason for this crisis.” The letter did
not give examples or criticise any specific politicians.
Maiy Azize, a spokesperson for the housing campaign Everybody’s Home who
coordinated the letter, said it was “nonsense to blame migration as a primary
driver of a housing crisis that has been decades in the making”.
“During the Covid era which had lower migration, rents actually increased more
than they did in the preceding decade,” Azize said.
The organisations called on the government and opposition to show leadership in
the housing affordability debate and focus on what they say the main drivers."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
