We are in a housing crisis.
Here's how we fix it.
In a wealthy country like Australia, everyone should have a good, affordable place to call home.
Yet right now hundreds of thousands of people can’t find an affordable home, rents are soaring, young people are locked out of owning their own home, and the wait lists for public and community housing are growing.
In the middle of this massive crisis, Labor's five year housing plan will see the crisis get worse, because it does nothing for renters and will see the shortage of public housing end up bigger than it is now.
The Greens are fighting for the millions of people Labor is leaving behind.
Labor's plan will make the crisis worse.
The government has claimed their new housing fund will finance the construction of 30,000 social and affordable homes over five years, which will actually see the shortage of social and affordable housing continue to grow. Australia has a shortage of 640,000 social and affordable homes. That shortage will grow by 75,000 in 5 years.
There are serious concerns about the $500 million spending cap that will see a real term cut in spending on housing every year.
Labor wants to invest $10 billion in the stock market through the Future Fund and only invest the returns on housing. This isn’t a $10 billion investment in housing, it’s a $10 billion gamble on the stock market, with a $500 million per year spending cap on housing.
You don’t fix the housing crisis by locking in real terms cuts to housing spending every year and subjecting it to the ups and downs of the stock market.
At the end of Labor’s five year plan we will see more people waiting for social housing, more people struggling to pay the rent, more people homeless and more people being evicted.
A decent home for all is possible.
It's very likely Labor will need the Greens support in the senate to pass their housing plan. So the Greens are seeking to negotiate significant improvements to Labor's plan.
The Greens are calling on Labor to commit to:
- A minimum of $5 billion invested in social and affordable housing every year (indexed to inflation) and removing the $500 million cap
- A national plan for renters including the Prime Minister putting a national freeze on rent increases on the national cabinet agenda and an immediate doubling of Commonwealth Rent Assistance in the Budget
- $1 billion investment in remote Aboriginal Housing
- All housing through the Fund should meet minimum inclusive design standards (Liveable Housing Australia Silver)
All of this is possible.
The Greens have made their priorities clear. We want to see a housing plan that actually starts to tackle the scale of the crisis; not one that will see the shortage of public and affordable housing get worse, do nothing for renters and lock in real cuts to housing funding.
Labor has a clear choice: work with the Greens to improve this bill and actually make a dent in the housing crisis, or seek the support of the Coalition and sell out the millions of people crying out for public and affordable housing.
Sounds good to you?
I need your help.
Countries around the world have undertaken mass builds of beautifully designed public housing, with integrated public parks, community facilities and community gardens.
There's absolutely no reason why we can't win that here in Australia.
But it's going to take all of us.
Sign the petition calling on Labor to agree to our demands.
I'm looking forward to fighting together for a future where everyone has a good place to call home