Independent MLA Thomas Emerson is backing calls from the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) for the ACT Government to prioritise households experiencing the greatest need following the release of the 2025 ACT Cost of Living Report.
The report’s first recommendation is to “Commit to annual, demand-driven investment in social housing, aligned with the Supply and Confidence Agreement [between ACT Labor and Thomas Emerson MLA], that increases the proportion of all housing which is public and community housing, by the end of this term of government.”
“This report shows the cost-of-living crisis isn’t going away,” Mr Emerson said.
“While temporary relief is welcome, serious structural reform is needed to tackle poverty in the ACT.
”We need significantly increased investment in social housing to address our unconscionably long waitlists, even more so if the Government scraps the emergency Rent Relief Fund.
“Anglicare’s 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot shows there are no affordable rentals in the ACT for someone on JobSeeker, and just one per cent of rentals are affordable for full-time workers on the minimum wage. Meanwhile, our underfunded community sector is reporting significantly increased demand year-on-year for emergency food relief.
“We’re told Canberrans enjoy the world’s highest quality of life. That might be the case among those of us who can afford it, but it’s cold comfort to the people in our community being forced to choose between heating and eating this winter.
“The cost-of-living crisis has exposed and exacerbated the deep inequality that now characterises our society. In a wealthy place like Canberra, the most vulnerable members of our community should be able to access the basic necessities of life. But many will go to sleep hungry and unhoused tonight.
“I’ve secured commitments from the Government to increase the proportion of public and community housing in the ACT – which has been going backward for decades – and to develop a coordinated ACT Food Relief Action Plan. We need to see movement on those commitments in next week’s Budget.”