National Seniors has welcomed the final recommendations of the Affordable Housing Inquiry which has identified key areas in need of housing reform.

They provided submissions to the Inquiry and represented member views on affordable housing at a Senate public hearing in late 2014.

Some of the issues raised by National Seniors included the need for:

• Adequate and appropriate access to housing assistance
• Commonwealth Rent Assistance to be reviewed and indexed to private rents
• An expansion of social housing stock
• Stamp duty concessions for downsizing and
• The establishment of a rightsizing program that quarantines some of the proceeds from the sale of the home from the age pension asset test.

The final report has a strong focus on the issues experienced in accessing affordable and appropriate housing in the private rental market, with many people experiencing rental stress or even severe rental stress, especially for those older Australians who are non-homeowners and on low or fixed incomes.

The report considered evidence which supported the argument that access to affordable housing is a matter of national importance and that housing should be represented under a Commonwealth Minister for Housing and Homelessness and a ministerial council on housing.