New housing for international students: Universities enlisted in $6.2b supply splurge
Jim Chalmers wants universities to dip into their coffers to build housing needed to absorb international students.
Universities will be required to build extra accommodation if they want more international students, as part of a broader budget attempt to ease Australia’s housing crisis.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has moved to quell angst experienced by Australians locked out of the property market, including immediate relief for some renters and a $6.2 billion splurge to increase housing supply in the medium and long-term.
Delivering his third budget on Tuesday evening, Chalmers demanded a university sector increasingly reliant on international students fees carry some of the burden. He warned housing supply had not kept pace with surging international student numbers, driving up rents in the cities and suburbs.
“It makes finding housing harder for everyone. We have a more substantial, more sustainable approach,” he said.
