MEDIA ALERT: Community groups to call for government action on unsafe temperatures in social housing

Poor people are paying the price with their health and bills after a record breaking summer

Mar 25, 2024

A collective of climate and social justice organisations representing a broad constituency of parents, social housing tenants, private renters, welfare recipients and health care workers will address media at 9:15am today following the ‘Climate safe homes for climate safe futures’ event at Parliament House.

The group is calling on the government to commit $1.8 billion in the federal budget to retrofit all public and community housing by 2030 with climate upgrades including rooftop solar, as well as other protections for private renters and people who rely on Centrelink payments.

When: 9:15am Tuesday 26 March 2024
Location: Mural Hall, Parliament House
Media contact: Sean Kennedy, Climate Media Centre, 0447 121 378, sean.kennedy@climatemediacentre.org.au

See below for background statistics and quotes attributed to speakers at the event. Case studies affected by unsafe homes are available for interview.

Speakers

Emma Bacon, Sweltering Cities founder and executive director
Jimmy Frank Jupurrurla, Wilya Janta Chair, First Nations Clean Energy Network member
Mel Fisher, public housing tenant who relies on JobSeeker to live
Jay Coonan, Antipoverty Centre research and policy
Nic Seton, Parents for Climate Action chief executive officer
Dr Bronwyn McDonald, Healthy Futures Campaigner
Kellie Caught, ACOSS climate and energy program director
Joel Dignam, Better Renting executive director
Heidi Lee Douglas, Solar Citizens chief executive officer
Maiy Azize, Everybody’s Home spokesperson

Background

Better Renting research found that across Australia, rental homes spend 12 hours a day above 25° and more than 2 hours a day above 30º, compared to the WHO recommended healthy range of 18–24° indoors. (Better Renting)
Antipoverty Centre survey data shows 69.1% of people who have “mutual” obligations requirements and a health condition that is negatively affected by temperature are living in a home that gets too cold or too hot (or both) during severe weather.
People on the lowest incomes experience hospitalisation and death at disproportionate rates. 32% of heatwave-related deaths occurred in the lowest quintile socio-economic areas and 89% of the deceased had a recorded disability. (International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction).
People with chronic and mental health conditions are more susceptible to extreme heat and during heatwaves people with cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and neurological, mental and behavioural disorders have an increased risk of death. (BMC Health Services journal).
Poor people are less likely to own their home, and therefore less able to take up existing government programs that assist homeowners with climate upgrades. (DSS and ABS).
There are 442,700 people living in social housing dwellings. (AIHW) All social housing residents are on low incomes, and the majority of residents rely on Centrelink payments that are below the poverty line and are less able to afford energy costs, home modifications and other expenses that would alleviate health risk during periods of extreme temperatures.

Quotes

Emma Bacon, Sweltering Cities founder and executive director: Rising temperatures are a health emergency. This summer we’ve heard from people that the cost of living crisis means people are weighing up whether they can afford essentials or staying cool. Energy efficiency upgrades, air con and solar will take the pressure off people by making it affordable to be safe at home, and reduce the risk of heat related deaths and illness.

Jimmy Frank Jupurrurla, Wilya Janta Chair and First Nations Clean Energy Network member: Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory is one of the hottest towns in Australia. I've grown up in Tennant Creek, I grew up out in the bush in the 80s, a little family us mob, and we grew up in tin houses. But even now, in 2024, they are still building houses that are not suitable for our climate. The impact of climate change is not being prepared for, not one is listening to us mob Wumpurrarni people even though we know heat. It's part of our culture, we know it. The summers are getting hotter, and the houses being built for our people are not suitable for this climate or our culture. Wupurrarni people need to be asked, after all we are the experts in how to live in hot weather. Everything starts at home with culture, and our culture comes from our country.

Mel Fisher, public housing tenant who relies on JobSeeker to live: Poor people are hit the hardest by extreme temperatures, especially those of us who are disabled or older. My skin condition flared up during the recent Adelaide heatwave, when my home was hotter inside, even after the temperature dropped outside.

Jay Coonan, Antipoverty Centre research and policy: Whether we’re in private rentals or public and community housing, people who rely on Centrelink are being put at risk by punitive requirements and bad housing. The government must directly fund the Household Energy Upgrades Fund in this budget with an additional $1.5 billion to ensure everyone has access to a climate safe home no later than 2030.

Nic Seton, Parents for Climate Action chief executive officer: Too many families, including over 760,000 children living in poverty in Australia, face heightened risks to their health and education from exposure to extreme summer heat. Simple measures such as installing air-conditioning in homes and classrooms, powered by rooftop solar, will keep our kids safe while reducing cost of living pressures.

Ursula Alquier, Healthy Futures Campaigner: Extreme heat can trigger heart attacks, kidney failure, strokes and even death among other health impacts, we want to see a commitment to ensure people living in social housing are able to live in a safe and healthy environment.

Kellie Caught, ACOSS climate and energy program director: People experiencing financial and social disadvantage are the most severely, and most persistently affected by higher temperatures, but lack the choice or control to stay safe. In the May budget, the government must invest further in home energy upgrades across all low-income housing types, incentivise minimum energy efficiency rental standards, and raise the rate of JobSeeker and related payments.

Joel Dignam, Better Renting executive director: Increasing heat is threatening the health of renters who tend to live in lower-quality homes and be less able to access and afford cooling. The Commonwealth needs to be leading efforts to ensure that all Australians have healthy homes, including the growing number of people in the rental sector.

Heidi Lee Douglas, Solar Citizens chief executive officer: Housing is not affordable if it is not also climate safe. Without government support the worst off households will have to rely on energy intensive heating and cooling as our climate becomes less stable. Rooftop solar can slash bills by $1,200 each year. Add a household battery and savings can be between $1,322 and $2252. It will take action from government to make sure renters, apartments dwellers and especially people on low incomes can access these benefits.

Maiy Azize, Everybody’s Home spokesperson: Everybody should have a home that's warm enough in winter and cool enough in summer. Our homes should be safe, not unhealthy. But too many people are missing out because they’re living in social housing. We’re calling on the Government to take action so that nobody misses out on having a healthy home.