“Taking no action is not an option”: A stark warning about Australia’s escalating housing crisis.

Leading economists have sounded the alarm about Australia’s deepening housing crisis, urging governments to take urgent measures to prevent a complete collapse. Along with skyrocketing home prices, rental markets nationwide have seen unprecedented hikes, with vacancy rates plummeting to record lows.

In a powerful example of the desperation felt by many, a homeless man on Monday asked a judge to send him to prison because he couldn’t find a place to live. David Ambrosius, who was being sentenced for starting a fire in an abandoned motel in Geraldton, WA, last year, suggested a two-year prison term just to secure a roof over his head.

The 48-year-old warned that he would reoffend if released, and true to his word, he did—causing property damage while trespassing just hours after his release.