The Barefoot Investor has revealed the three radical ways the government can immediately fix the housing crisis.
Scott Pape shared his insight as he weighed in on the domestic violence crisis and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policies.
Pape argued that many women were forced to live with their abusive partners because they had nowhere to go due to housing shortages and high prices.
He offered several key solutions to immediately fix the housing market that he flatly called a “dumpster fire.”
‘So how could the government actually address it?’ Pape wrote in a column for the Daily Telegraph.
Barefoot investor Scott Pape (pictured) lists three measures the Albanian government can take to solve the housing crisis
‘Firstly, by temporarily limiting immigration while the rental market is in crisis.
‘Secondly, by reducing negative gearing and reducing capital gains tax (CGT) by 50 per cent for investors.
“And finally, channeling those tax savings into building public housing that serves the most vulnerable people in our society: women and their children fleeing family violence.”
He conveyed the three demands directly to Mr. Albanese and wrote: “That seems quite bold to me, Albo.”
His recommendations followed a massive outcry by Australians over the high rate of domestic violence, which Pape described as “similar to that in Port Arthur”.
He recalled statistics indicating that a woman is murdered by her partner every four days in Australia and that the police are called every two minutes for an event of domestic violence.
Albanese called a roundtable summit following demonstrations across the country calling for better policies to protect women.
The result was what Pape described as a “reheated Scomo policy”.
“(Former Prime Minister Scott) Morrison had the Escape Violence Payment, which offered up to $5,000 for women and Albanese has the Leave Violence Payment, which does the same thing,” she said.
‘Now it’s better than nothing.
“However, it doesn’t address the big problem: our housing market is a complete dump.”
Albanese described his plan as “two steps forward.”
“What we have done is strengthen the program to make sure that there is more, more support, not just the financial payment, but that those support services also come into place,” he said.
To be eligible for the Stop Violence Payment, a person must be a victim survivor and have experienced a change in their lifestyle as a result of intimate partner violence in the last 12 weeks.
Offers eligible victims up to $1,500 in cash and $3,500 in vouchers.
Pape linked the housing crisis to Australia’s domestic violence epidemic, saying: “There are too many women living with violent idiots because they can’t afford to move.”
Pape said skyrocketing house prices in Australia have forced women and children into violent homes because they cannot afford to escape.
Anglicare found last month that educated women in high-paying jobs can only afford three per cent of rental properties.
“And those cheap rentals have eager applicants lining up around the corner,” Pape said.
The organization said it was “providing blankets to women to sleep in their cars”, while Homegiving Australia found that only 3.7 per cent of women who fled violence were able to secure long-term housing.
Pape placed the blame on the government’s “vote-catching” tax breaks, which made it easier for investors to offer private rentals.
Instead, he believes the government should have focused on building more public housing.
“Too many women live with violent idiots because they can’t afford to move out,” Pape said.
On Friday, New South Wales Deputy Premier Prue Car announced a housing package that would help women trying to get out of dangerous situations.
Car said it would be the first step in a larger effort by her government to improve women’s safety after an alarming rise in violence against women.
At least 28 women have died this year from gender violence.
Anglicare found last month that educated women in high-paying jobs can only afford three per cent of rental properties, which are subject to massive competition.
After a cabinet meeting on Friday, where they heard from experts and campaigners, Ms Car said: “Primary prevention and early intervention need more attention because we need to drive cultural change that stops this happening.”
Housing Minister Ms Car said the government would examine underused accommodation facilities with a view to repurposing them as shelters or even long-term housing.
He also said that education would be the focus.
“Education is always, always, part of the answer, but the government must ensure schools are supported to achieve this.”
The government’s leader in the Legislative Council, Penny Sharpe, said the announcement was decades overdue.
“Today, what this government has done has started a process that has taken too long but requires urgent measures,” he said.
“These are things that are going to change the dial… to prevent the behavior in the first place.”