Public housing loses tens of millions
By Therese Moore
A cut of $50 million from the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement adds up to a real cut of almost $140 million, Sally Bryant, director of the Community Housing Federation of Australia, pointed out on budget night.
"In last year's budget, the commonwealth announced a 4% efficiency dividend to housing for 1997-98, which means a cut of $43 million on top of tonight's cuts. Add possible cuts from the states, and we are looking at a cut to housing of more like $140 million across the country.
"These cuts come on top of a 40% decline in real terms to public and community housing funding since the mid-1980s", Bryant said.
"For the 400,000 households around Australia languishing on public housing waiting lists, and the estimated 500,000 in private rental struggling to meet their housing costs, this budget offers nothing", community housing worker Margaret Gleeson told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly.
"The $50 million cut to public housing is equivalent to what has been allocated for federal spending on security for the Olympics. If a fraction of the billions of dollars appropriated from state and commonwealth revenues for the Olympics were allocated for the construction of new dwellings, waiting lists would be a thing of the past."
The commonwealth will also save $60 million by cutting rental assistance. From July 1, the decision to slash rent assistance to members of shared households — part of last year's budget — will take effect. From January 1, rent assistance to people living as subtenants in public housing will cease, affecting 44,000 people nationally.