SA UNIONS WELCOME HOUSING POLICY BLITZ
Media Release - 27/02/2026
SA Unions has welcomed a suite of state government housing and skills announcements this week, calling them a vital step toward reclaiming the housing market for working South Australians. The wins align with SA Unions’ Build Homes, Not Landlord Portfolios campaign, which seeks to boost housing supply and fix the broken system for renters.
SA Unions Secretary Dale Beasley said the shift in policy marks a turning point for the state, “Workers are locked out of homes while professional landlords become multi-millionaires, but we finally have a government building homes for people instead of treating them like a speculative goldmine.”
“Housing costs are the biggest pressure on workers in SA and the answers to this crisis aren’t going to come from recycled politicians who attack workers conditions and wages.”
“Workers can not trust the Liberals and One Nation on housing. Both have consistently voted against housing affordability, against action on homelessness, to keep wages low and to cut penalty rates.” Beasley continued, “They’re both focused on demonising people in public housing and cutting services, rather than building a system that lifts people up. We need builders, not bigots.”
SA UNIONS HOUSING CAMPAIGN WINS THIS WEEK:
1. Portable Rental Bonds
This week, the Premier announced that Labor will adopt our common-sense policy to introduce Portable Rental Bonds if re-elected. This means your bond would move with you from one property to the next, eliminating the need for double payments and easing the intense financial pressure on renters.
“The double bond cycle is a debt trap. Expecting renters to find an extra $4,800 for a new place while their previous bond is held hostage is a recipe for financial crisis.”
2. Rent to Own
We have won a 2,000-home commitment for working people. These homes will be leased at 75% of market rent with purchase prices locked in from day one. All sale proceeds will be reinvested into a perpetual building program.
“This visionary program takes the power back from banks and developers to actually build homes, not landlord portfolios. Public housing shouldn’t just be a safety net, it must be the foundation of our market.”
3. Housing Skills Package
This package delivers the apprenticeships at SA Water and the Housing Trust that SA Unions has long call for. It is a critical first step toward training the 30,000 extra workers needed to build South Australia out of this crisis.
“We need to invest properly in skilled workers and skilled work, so every worker can go to work safe, come home safe, and build a better housing future for everyone in South Australia.”
“It is vital to see the government leverage it’s own projects to train the next generation of tradespeople. This is exactly how we build our way out of a housing crisis.”
4. $1 Billion Fast-Track Home Fund
This billion-dollar public investment stops the big end of town from hoarding land, fast-tracking the inner-city apartments and suburban homes we need.
“SA Unions have been calling on government to unlock supply & strategically pursue urban infill projects. The fast-track home fund provides greater certainty to an industry where confidence is everything.”
