Flatline over flatmates: How we must look beyond the major parties’ state election policies for housing

Shelter is a human right. Yet, such a right has been jeopardised by the extremely dire state of the housing crisis which has particularly plagued students.

Despite this, neither of the major parties at the upcoming state election propose any holistic solutions that will tangibly uplift renters from the hellish housing market. This begs the question: what is the standard that we will press against the newly elected state government?

To contemplate a radical reimagination of the housing market — one which centres housing as a human right — we must look beyond the meagre offerings of the LNP and ALP.

Liberal Party

Jordan Anderson and Harrison Brennan argue for alternative solutions to the housing crisis.

The Liberal Party offers an unhelpful policy platform which focuses exclusively on first time home buyers. In fact, the LNP’s only material policies in relation to renters are their “reasonable grounds” eviction model and the upgrade of 15,800 social housing properties. Worse still, the LNP are committed to privatising 70% of public housing at the Waterloo South Estate and the demolition of the Glebe housing estate, demonstrating a palpable apathy to tenants and the housing crisis.

Dominic Perrottet, in his last ditch efforts to appeal to voters, pivoted his campaign to the creation of trust funds for children. This egregiously disadvantages working class families; the state promises to only provide $400 contributions if guardians can make annual deposits of up to $1000.

Therefore, the LNP’s cursory platform intends to “solve” the housing crisis but only insofar as devoutly reinforcing the marble floors of landlords.

Labor Party

NSW Labor’s housing platform, whilst more substantive than the LNP, leaves much to be desired. Labor’s proposed Portable Bond Scheme, which allows the direct transfer of bonds from one property to another, attempts to alleviate the transitional financial burdens faced by renters when moving homes. NSW Labor promises to support no grounds eviction despite shooting down the Green’s proposal last year, and has committed to a crackdown on illegal rent bidding.

Labor remains steadfast in upholding the renewal program of housing development observed in other states, mandating that 30% of housing on surplus government land must be social, affordable or universal housing; a matter that would be overseen by the newly created Homes NSW.

Labor’s approach, much like their platform federally, fails to materially address the housing crisis. The waiting list for a public or social home in NSW sits at over 50,000 people, and Labor’s continuation of this renewal program makes no room for the construction of public housing, a program which has historically involved the redevelopment of existing public homes into apartment complexes, of which 70% are privatised and 30% social. This position is only worsened by Labor’s refusal to oppose the demolition of public homes in the