Anglicare WA's final week in the lead up to the federal election - advocating for 'A Fair Life'

In the lead up to the Federal Election, Anglicare WA is advocating for ‘A Fair Life’ through 4 key election priorities to encourage ‘A Better Australia’ for all. 

Scroll down to see what we have been up to over the final week of the federal election campaign. 

Advocating for safe and affordable housing and cost of living 

Anglicare WA’s recently released Rental Affordability Snapshot (RAS) received extensive media coverage, with CEO Mark Glasson making several appearances on TV, radio, and in print to discuss the report’s findings.  The RAS reveals that despite having the nation’s best performing economy, WA’s rental market has reached record levels of unaffordability for low-income households.   

With WA’s median rent being $680 per week, up 21% from 2023 and a staggering 89% from 2020, not a single property—not even a room—is affordable for someone on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, or the Disability Support Pension.  A single person earning minimum wage fares marginally better, with just 0.4% of properties being affordable and appropriate across the entire state. 

Rental increases have been well above inflation and wage growth for the past few years, and when combined with cost-of-living pressures, many Western Australians are doing it tough, with those relying on income support being pushed further into poverty and homelessness.  This is compounded by longer-term systemic issues like a shortage of social housing and a tax system that favours investors at the expense of renters.  

The contrast between WA’s prosperity and its housing disparity has made housing and the cost of living defining issues for the previous state election and this Saturday’s federal election.     

Fronting ABC News, Mr Glasson noted, “Yes, we have a bustling economy that’s really kicking ahead of the rest of the country.  But the question that I would have to ask our leaders is what is that for if we can’t house and feed our people?” 

Speaking further on Today Perth, he stated, “Our housing system is failing us.  And so, what we need is a bold vision from whoever wins the election on Saturday and from state governments across the country.  We need a bold vision that says we’re going to house everyone, and that’s going to require us to do something very different.” 

That is why Anglicare WA is calling on the Federal Government to raise the rate of JobSeeker to $82 a day, reform property tax deductions and incentives to boost social and affordable housing and set a social housing target of 6%. 

To see the full list of Anglicare WA’s federal election priorities for housing and cost of living, please click here. 

To see Anglicare WA’s RAS media coverage, please click here. 

To see what election commitments the major political parties and independents have announced for housing and cost of living, please check out The Conversation’s federal election tracker here.