Housing Is a Human Right: 

Every person or family  should be guaranteed ONE permanent, secure home.
Housing is a basic human right, essential to dignity, health, economic stability, and community wellbeing.

Current housing conditions show systemic failure: soaring rents, chronic instability, and rising homelessness. The proposal aims to deliver fairness, security, and structural protection for vulnerable Australians.

When housing becomes a tool for profit, human dignity is destroyed.
A society cannot be fair when people’s most basic need is controlled by greed.

Guaranteeing one permanent home per person or family breaks the cycle of exploitation, restores fairness, and ensures every person has a safe place to call home.

Sign this petition to demand that the government recognize housing as a human right — not a privilege — and guarantee one secure home for every person or family in Australia.

Housing is a basic human need — not a luxury. Every person and every family deserve stability, dignity, and a permanent place to call home.

Yet across Australia, thousands of people are living with constant insecurity, facing rising rents, unpredictable landlords, and the fear of having nowhere to belong. No one should be forced into homelessness while homes sit empty as speculative investments.

Everyone deserves the security of a permanent home, free from predatory rents, property speculation, and hoarding. By guaranteeing one home for all, we protect families, reduce homelessness, strengthen communities, and build a more equal Australia.

What We Are Calling For
A fair and humane housing system where:

1. Every person or family is entitled to one secure, permanent home.
A stable foundation for health, safety, and long-term wellbeing.

2. Residents pay standard bills and taxes, with an optional small government contribution when needed.
Fair, reasonable, and sustainable.

3. People who can afford it may buy a second home — only after universal access is ensured.
No more property hoarding while families sleep in cars.

4. Clear rules prevent scamming, misuse, or exploitation.
Housing rights matched to individual or family needs.

5. Government and landlords stop treating housing as a tool for speculation and profit.
Homes must serve people, not markets.

 

Speculation and Hoarding of Properties

Some investors and corporations buy large numbers of homes only to sit on them, waiting for prices to rise.
Meanwhile:

• Families struggle to find affordable homes
• Vacancy rates rise while homelessness increases
• Prices inflate because supply is artificially restricted
• Millions experience rental stress or are at risk of homelessness
• Vulnerable groups — older women, families with children, low-income workers — face escalating hardship
• More than 122,000 people are homeless in Australia.
• Nearly 3 million people live one setback away from homelessness 
• 70% of renters report financial stress linked to housing.

Why This Matters
Guaranteeing one secure home for all will:

• Protect vulnerable people from exploitation
• Reduce homelessness nationwide
• Strengthen families and communities
• Improve mental and physical health outcomes
• Give children stability and opportunity
• Build a fairer and more equal society
• Housing should give people security, dignity, and a sense of belonging — not fear, instability, or financial stress.

How Exploitation Happens — Concrete Mechanisms

• Housing as Speculation & Investment, Not Shelter
• Properties are bought not to house people, but as investment assets. This reduces the available supply of affordable homes for ordinary people.
• In many cases, homes sit empty or underused while landlords wait for property values to rise, worsening the shortage of genuine affordable housing.

2. Rent and Price Inflation Beyond the Reach of Average People

• With rising demand and limited supply, landlords and developers push prices up. Rent increases and house-price hikes outpace wage growth.
• For many, paying rent leaves insufficient funds for essentials — healthcare, food, education — forcing people into debt, shared housing, or homelessness.

3. Neglect & Poor Living Conditions for Renters

• When housing is treated as a profit tool, there is little incentive to maintain quality. Renters often live in poorly maintained, unsafe or overcrowded dwellings.
• This leads to health issues (physical and mental), instability, and insecurity, especially for families and vulnerable people.

4. Economic & Social Inequality Deepens

• As housing becomes unaffordable for many, the gap between those who own property and those who rent or are homeless widens 
• . Families cannot build wealth or stability. Children grow up with insecurity. Communities fracture under pressure.

 
5. Human & Social Cost

• People living under housing stress face declining mental and physical health, long-term insecurity, and a lack of control over their lives. homelessnessaustralia.org.au
• Children and young people raised in precarious housing may suffer from disrupted schooling, poor childhood stability, and limited future opportunities.
• Entire communities suffer as affordable homes vanish, rentals and housing costs soar, and everyday people are forced into unstable housing or homelessness.
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                                  ***Call to Action***

Sign this petition to demand that the government recognize housing as a human right — not a privilege — and guarantee one secure home for every person or family in Australia.

In recent years, about 3 million Australians are considered “at risk” of homelessness — one setback (job loss, illness, rent rise) could make them homeless.  

 70% of renters in Australia report financial stress related to housing   https://everybodyshome.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EH_Housing-Crisis-Snapshot.pdf