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Housing, An Election Priority - Howard Emanuel

With the recent Canberra based Housing summit held to discuss low-income Australians ability to access housing, it is clear this issue will be of vital importance come the federal election. Read More...

By Howard Emanuel - 3rd October 2004 - Back to News

With the recent Canberra based Housing summit held to discuss low-income Australians ability to access housing, it is clear this issue will be of vital importance come the federal election. It is my view that the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) and other agencies convened the recent Canberra summit in an attempt to imbed the issue both into the minds of politicians and into the psyche of all Australians prior to them casting their vote.

The Gippsland region, including the Latrobe Valley has many low-income earners in the community and their inability to access housing should be a major concern to all of us, especially Gippsland based politicians. For a great many, access to housing means only the option of being beholden to a landlord or landlords, often over many years, watching what could have been a deposit for the purchase of their own property, essentially disappear. The recent price hikes in the cost of housing has alienated an increasing number from the housing market perhaps for ever, and thus means a new multi-faceted approach to the housing needs of Australians is required.

Outright purchase is still an option for many, but entails a deeper level of debt than in the past; all this coupled with the uncertainties of the employment market and of course unemployment is a major issue in Gippsland. For others only the community or public housing option is available and with this reality in mind community and public housing must be appropriately planned, funded and managed.

As an independent candidate for McMillan I have given the highest priority to housing as a policy issue and continue to call on the Federal Government, Opposition and other parties to do likewise. In a country as fortunate as Australia, decent, affordable and secure housing should never be a privilege, but indeed is becoming so for an increasing number. It is time for the Australian community to invest in housing on behalf of those that are; due to a range of circumstances unable to do so for themselves.

Thank you.

Howard Emanuel.

Independent Candidate for the Federal Seat of McMillan.

Convener: Rural Social Justice Movement

Tele/Fax: (03)5684 1561

Mobile: 0400 158 896

E-mail:   howard@howardemanuel.com

Website: www.HowardEmanuel.com

"Bringing the People back into Policy!"

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: kris@howardemanuel.com

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