Housing Crisis

WE ARE IN A HOUSING CRISIS.
THE GREENS HAVE A PLAN TO FIX IT.

A safe and affordable home is key to living a life with dignity. In a wealthy country like Australia, nobody should be forced to go without one.

Yet renters and mortgage holders are suffering. Big banks and wealthy property investors are making billions in profit, while millions of Australians are struggling to keep a roof over their head.

Labor can fix this crisis, but they are choosing not to.

The Greens want everyone to be able to afford a home where they can put down roots and build a strong community – and we have a plan to make it happen.

@maxchandlermathermp For decades now Federal and State Government housing policy has been explicitly geared towards turbo charging house prices and driving up rents and putting billions of dollars in the pockets of property investors, property developers and the banks. Time after time they’ve chosen property investors over renters and those struggling to buy their first home. That’s why we’ll fight to scrap the tax handouts for property investors and invest billions in building hundreds of thousands of good quality homes to be sold and rented at prices people can actually afford. #auspol ♬ original sound - Max Chandler Mather

CHANGE IS POSSIBLE

After months of enormous pressure from the Greens last year, Labor backflipped and agreed to invest an additional $3 billion into public and community housing.

This is the power of our movement.

Without the Greens, Labor would have passed a plan that didn’t guarantee a single cent in funding for housing.

Labor had the chance to freeze rent increases, build more public housing and end unfair tax handouts for big property investors – but they chose not to.

Come next election, Labor should be prepared to hear loud and clear from the millions of Australians it has ignored that we are fed-up with being treated as second-class citizens.

The Greens are the only party fighting for renters and first home buyers. Help us keep the pressure on.

JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN

OUR PLAN TO TACKLE THIS CRISIS:

  1. Immediately freeze and cap rent increases through National Cabinet.

People across the country are being slammed with record rent increases – over $3 billion in 2022-23 alone. Our weak rental laws mean many are routinely forced to accept increases of any amount, or risk homelessness.

A freeze on rental increases would be a temporary measure to give renters immediate relief while we make the other big changes we need.

  1. Phase out unfair tax handouts, including negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.

In 2023-24, tax handouts to property investors will cost $38.9 billion dollars. These handouts deliver the majority of their benefit to the top 10% of income earners, allowing investors to outbid first home buyers at auctions.

Scrapping these handouts will save the Budget billions to invest in public housing, while finally giving renters a chance to buy their first home.

  1. Invest billions in building hundreds of thousands of good quality homes through a public property developer.

A public developer would build 360,000 good quality homes over the next 5 years, available to anyone who wants to rent or who doesn’t already own a home.

Renters would save thousands every year because rent would be capped at 25% of household income, while first home buyers would save on average $260,000 on the price of a home.

  1. Establish a new National Renters Protection Authority to enforce and protect renters’ rights.

Every renter knows what it’s like to feel powerless in their own home.

The NRPA would have the power to investigate breaches of rental law, fine landlords or agents who breach renters’ rights, and fight for renters across the country.

 

SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU?

We need your help!

By scrapping tax handouts for wealthy property investors, we could fund building hundreds of thousands of good quality public homes over the next decade.

We could put an emergency freeze on rent increases in place right now to make sure that nobody has to fear eviction into homelessness because they can't afford to pay the rent.

There's absolutely no reason why we can't give everyone a home they can afford.

But it's going to take all of us. Join our campaign 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.


– Max Chandler Mather MP
Greens spokesperson for Housing

FIX THE housing crisis

Let's end tax handouts for property investors so we can make renting and buying your first home affordable again.

By signing this, you will also hear from us about our housing campaign from time to time.


 

WANT TO DIG DEEPER?

Freeze & Cap Rent Increases

Renters need relief now. We must freeze rent increases for 2 years, then cap future increases at 2% every 2 years.

End Tax Handouts for Big Property Investors

Negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount are costing us billions that could go towards building more public housing.

Create a Public Property Developer

Housing supply should not be left to private developers. It's time for government to get back in the business of building homes.

Protect Renters Rights

Renters shouldn’t feel powerless in their own home. We need a rental regulator with teeth to fight for them.