Regional Housing Rescue Plan

The Greens Regional Housing Rescue Plan

  • Invest $1 billion to deliver at least 2,500 public and social homes in regional NSW each year for the next 10 years 
  • Immediately freeze rents and ban unfair evictions in all communities in disaster declared local government areas
  • Resource local councils and communities to regulate the number and location of Short-term Rental Accommodation non-hosted dwellings
  • Make those profiting from non-hosted properties on the short-term rental market, register as a business and pay tax accordingly.
  • Publicly fund energy and sustainability upgrades for all existing and new public, social and affordable homes in the regions. 
  • Require property developers to include at least 30% ongoing affordable housing in all new large private residential developments (100% public housing on public land)
  • Ban the sale of public housing and public land suitable for housing
  • Immediately assist those impacted in Northern Rivers by boosting the Resilient Homes program so that every eligible person has the opportunity to move to a safe location and has a safe place to call home, and fully fund works to raise and retrofit eligible homes. Prioritise house relocations and landswaps to preserve existing housing stock and keep communities together
  • Increase funding and resourcing for roll out of existing schemes as well as local housing, tenancy services and specialist homelessness services to meet increased demands in regional communities

Background

  • Housing Stress
    • According to the 2021 ABS statistics communities in regional NSW were in significant housing stress paying more than 30% of their income in rent or on a mortgage. These statistics were taken prior to the rental shortages and rent hikes and interest rate hikes of 2022. 
  • In Lismore 42.6% of renters are in housing stress and 15% of homeowners with a mortgage are in housing stress
  • In Ballina 35.5% of renters and 17.3% mortgage holders were in housing stress 
  • In the South Coast 42.7% of renters and 16% of mortgage holders were in housing stress. 
  • In the Hunter Valley 36.8% of renters and 12% of mortgage holders were in housing stress. 
  • Regional rent increases 
    • Between Sept 2021 and Sept 2022 rents increased in Lismore by 14.6%, in the Richmond Valley by 19%, in Upper Hunter by 22.9% and in the Bega Valley by 12.5%.
  • The NSW Greens Bill to provide protections to tenants, including flood impacted areas
  • Read the full NSW Greens 2023 Housing platform here.
  • Make Them Pay - How we will fund our plan
    • The Greens will make big banks, fossil fuel companies, property developers and the gambling industry pay their fair share of tax so we can invest in climate action, affordable housing and public services for all.
    • As part of this plan, we will Introduce a Climate Disaster Levy on coal exports to raise over $7 billion per year towards a Climate Recovery and Transformation Fund.
    • Our Extreme Wealth Property Tax will also provide funds to create more affordable homes throughout NSW.