As rampant price rises and stagnant wages are making housing more out of reach for hundreds on the South Coast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it's "not an easy issue" to solve.
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On the first day of the 2022 federal election campaign, Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Culburra Beach, joined by Liberal Gilmore candidate Andrew Constance, where they promised $40 million to fix Shoalhaven roads - should their party win the election.
The South Coast Register asked Mr Morrison a detailed question about housing affordability in the Shoalhaven and how the Coalition plans to fix it during his visit on Monday.
In response, Mr Morrison said "you're right, house prices have been rising".
"People in our major metropolitan areas, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, have been used to that for a very long time," he said.
Mr Morrison heard that up to 800 people in the Shoalhaven are sleeping rough and that essential workers are struggling to find and afford rentals across the South Coast.
He did not name any new policies to improve housing affordability, but he did point to past investments from the Coalition that he said will continue.
"That's not okay," Mr Morrison said, when he heard about an aged care worker on the South Coast living in the back of their car.
"And that's why we continue to make the investments that we do.
"We put in place the home guarantee scheme. We put in place the home builders scheme.
"We have got 300,000 Australians into their own home directly ... because we've been able to take the deposit that they would otherwise had to save for 20 per cent down to five per cent, and for a single parent, down to two per cent.
"And on my way out here, I saw the housing estates with homes being built. That's the best thing you can do to reduce pressure on housing prices."
Shoalhaven resident Liz Folkard was among the small group of protesters outside the Prime Minister's doorstop. She was disappointed to hear Monday's announcement was based on roads rather than housing.
Liz sees housing affordability in the Shoalhaven as a critical point for candidates in the upcoming election, and said it is impacting retaining staff at local schools.
"Housing here is horrific," she said.
"If you can't get teachers and medical staff here, then what hope have you got? Kids are sitting in class, they can't get relief teachers from the shortages.
"Families are being evicted from their rentals while they wait for public housing."
Incumbent Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips said more social and affordable housing will be delivered to the South Coast if an Albanese Labor Government is elected.
"Our housing Australia Future Fund will be the biggest investment in affordable and social housing that we have seen in decades," Ms Phillips said.
"The reality is the government's turned the tap off on affordable social housing and has done nothing about it.
"Our housing Australia Future Fund will create up to 20,000 social housing properties. And in addition to that 10,000 of affordable housing properties for frontline workers."
The electorate of Gilmore, which stretches from Kiama to Tuross Heads, has seen the greatest percentage house price growth of any federal electorate, according to research from community housing provide group PowerHousing Australia.
Gilmore has seen an almost 40 per cent increase in the median dwelling price - from $633,160 to $833,384 - in one year, which has added an additional 10 years to the mortgage of a typical household.
Essential workers in the South Coast are also paying up to 70 per cent of their income on rent, with just $248 left over, according to a recent survey by housing reform advocacy body Everybody's Home.
Mr Morrison said making essential workers, like aged care workers, "miraculously appear" is also not an easy issue to resolve.
But he hailed the federal government's investment into aged care in the recent budget.
Mr Morrison said the investment will address recommendations out of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, including improved wages.
"We've got a $19.1 million plan to address the issues raised in the Royal Commission ... dealing with everything from getting the workforce that we need," Mr Morrison said.
"Including over $3 billion directly to address nutrition and direct peer support for people in aged care.
"It's not an easy issue, you can't just stand up and all of a sudden make nurses miraculously appear.
"It demonstrates why having a strong economy is so important, because you can't address housing and you can't address aged care, unless you know how to manage money and run a strong economy."
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
