Housing is a state government responsibility — and it is in crisis

South Australia is in a deep and worsening housing crisis.

Almost 14,000 people are on the public housing waiting list. Rents and house prices continue to rise faster than incomes. People on Centrelink payments, low‑wage workers, essential workers, students, older women, First Nations people, and families are being pushed into housing stress, overcrowding, and homelessness.

Homelessness services are under immense pressure, with demand increasing while funding fails to keep pace. Crisis responses alone are not enough.

This is a crisis created by policy decisions — and it can be fixed by policy decisions.

Our call: Build public homes and rebuild the SA Housing Trust

Public housing is the backbone of an effective housing system. It provides secure, genuinely affordable homes, stabilises the private rental market, and prevents homelessness before it occurs.

At this rally, we are calling on the South Australian Government — and all parties contesting the 2026 State Election — to commit to:

Rebuilding and expanding the SA Housing Trust
A large‑scale program to build new public housing, not just short‑term or temporary solutions
Ongoing investment to maintain and upgrade existing public housing stock
Housing policy that centres people on the lowest incomes and those most at risk
Genuine partnership with First Nations communities, recognising housing as inseparable from land, justice, and self‑determination

Public Housing Rally

Join us on the steps of Parliament House to demand urgent action.

This rally will feature speakers from across the community, including:

People with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness
First Nations speakers and community representatives
Unions speaking to housing as a workers’ issue
Housing and tenant advocates
Homelessness and community service organisations

We want election candidates to hear directly from the people affected by the housing crisis.

A community‑led election action

This rally is part of a broader state election campaign to put public housing back where it belongs: at the centre of government responsibility.

It is community‑led, grounded in lived experience, and focused on long‑term structural solutions — not charity, not temporary fixes, and not market‑driven approaches.

Support the rally

We are inviting organisations, unions, community groups, services, and networks to:

Add your logo as a supporting organisation
Sign on to a joint public statement calling for the rebuilding of the SA Housing Trust and a major public housing build
Help promote the rally through your networks
Support coordination of the rally

If your organisation works in housing, homelessness, social services, health, community development, union organising, faith‑based advocacy, or social justice — we welcome your involvement.

To partner with us, or to receive the joint statement, please get in contact.

Click here to download a Rally Flyer and help us spread the word!

Contact the host of RALLY: BUILD PUBLIC HOUSING