Affordable housing and raising income support are some of the key issues WA's not-for-profit sector is calling out for in the upcoming state election.
“We don’t think there will be many people in WA looking back over the past four years and thinking their lives have been changed for the better,” Mark Glasson, Anglicare WA chief executive officer, told Business News ahead of the upcoming March state election.
“More and more people across the state are struggling with the rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing. The demand on our services keeps rising, and an increasing proportion are people reaching out to organisations like ours for the first time.”
This includes people in full-time employment, households with dual incomes, and people paying off mortgages. The latest WACOSS report, published in December 2024, showed that households with two incomes are struggling to afford a reasonable standard of living and are unable to make ends meet due to rapidly increasing living costs.
The report revealed that average employed two-parent family does not have enough to cover their basic living costs, with weekly expenses exceeding their income by $60.77. For single-parent families, weekly expenditure surpasses their income by around $94.12.
“Our major asks for the upcoming election include cost-of-living relief and decent income for a fair life for everybody,” Mr Glasson said.
Rising cost-of-living is going to be one of the defining issues of the upcoming state election, he explained. “The state government has made some really positive moves to address the issue, but more needs to be done both at scale and at pace to address financial pressures, particularly boosting energy and utility programs.
“We’re still well short of the level of support we could, and should, be giving to struggling members of our community.”
Income support
Government support has not been able to keep up with rising inflation and cost of living, calling on campaigns like Raise the Rate for Good and increasing Jobseeker payments to help support more people in WA.
“While there are government subsidies and welfare payments aimed at helping with the cost of living, these have not kept pace with inflation,” Ms O’Hara said.
Anglicare WA and Foodbank WA support the Raise the Rate for Good campaign – raising income support rates to help cover basic necessities that people cannot afford with current welfare systems.
Income support currently lies below the poverty line, with 12 per cent of Western Australians living in poverty, including a total of 94,000 children.
“Many are calling for additional support from the government to address the growing issue of food insecurity in WA. We strongly support the Raise the Rate for Good campaign,” Foodbank WA’ CEO Kate O’Hara said.
The Raise the Rate for Good campaign aims to give everyone enough to cover the basics and essentials by raising the low rate of income support, to help create a more equal and resilient community.
The campaign explains the need to raise the rate of Jobseeker and other income support payments to at least $82 a day so everyone can keep a roof over their head and food on the table.
Supports to gain long-term, fulfilling employment and reducing barriers to finding employment – addressing the JobSeeker 'mutual obligation' system, tackling entrenched disadvantage with other cost-of living-relief and investing in entry-level job creation – is also something Mr Glasson would like to see in the upcoming election.
Affordable housing
Anglicare WA would like to see access to safe, secure, and affordable housing for everybody.
“Our priority in this market is to keep people housed where they are, whether renting or paying a mortgage,” Mr Glasson said.
“The state government has made some really positive moves to address the housing crisis – with significant investment in homelessness response, emergency relief, and housing supply. The foundations and the focus are there, but the government needs to be bolder in response to the housing crisis.”
He would like to see the government redouble their efforts for non-inflationary cost-of-living relief in the short term. For the longer term, the organisation is urging the government for more private and social housing supply.
The state and federal elections will see the emergence of a new voting block of Millennial and Gen Z voters, who are beginning to shape and inform housing policy, demanding better renting conditions, and access to affordable housing.
Mr Glasson is calling for more housing for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, and raising youth allowances "beyond mere routine indexation which is making almost no impactful difference".
There is a cry for a long-term vision and commitment to social housing, with increased supply of social housing, such as Anglicare WA’s Foyer Oxford in Leederville. “We want to see a move from rent relief and short-stay incentives to establishing a Housing Future Fund to guarantee 6 per cent social housing,” Mr Glasson said.
