2016-05-13
13/05/2016
WA Senator Scott Ludlam joined Senator Waters, Councillor Sri and Greens Candidate for Griffith, Karen Anderson, in Brisbane today to campaign on housing affordability.
At a Highgate Hill share-house, Senator Larissa Waters said the Greens’ national renters’ survey found only 9 per cent would rather rent than own their own home.
“While share-housing can be a wonderful experience, many renters hope to one day buy their first home but fear they won’t ever be able to afford to because house prices out of control,” Senator Waters said.
“The median house price in inner Brisbane is nearly $800,000 and for Brisbane overall it’s nearly half a million dollars.
“Ending negative gearing on future purchases and phasing out the capital gains discount would free up billions to invest in building new affordable housing and would help slow sky-rocketing house prices.
“Removing these unfair tax breaks for the very wealthy would complement Councillor Jonathan Sri’s local plans for affordable housing, such as including affordable housing in new developments,” Senator Waters said.
Senator Scott Ludlam said over half of individual taxpayers with negatively geared rental housing investments are in the top 10% of personal taxpayers, with 30% earning over $500,000.
“Why should taxpayers continue to subsidise investment properties when so many people are struggling to afford a home to live in?
“The billions we would save by reforming negative gearing should be used, in part, for new affordable housing for thousands of families and individuals stranded on social housing waiting lists and experiencing homelessness,” Senator Ludlam said.
Candidate for Griffith, Karen Anderson, said buying a home in the electorate was out of reach for too many people.
“House prices in Griffith are climbing to a point where only the wealthy are going to be able to afford to live in the inner-city. Here in Highgate Hill the median house price is more than $900 000.
“Housing affordability is not just about helping the next generation; it is about making a decision about the kind of communities we want to live in,” Ms Anderson said.
Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri said inclusionary zoning, which requires new developments to include a proportion of affordable housing, would help tackle rising unaffordability in areas like The Gabba Ward.
“Lower income residents and small businesses are being priced out of the inner city. Vibrant urban communities are fracturing, and marginalised people have been uprooted from their support networks.
“We need to ensure that lower-income workers can afford to live where the jobs are.
“We can protect everyday people from being priced out of their neighbourhoods by working at the federal level to abolish unfair tax breaks for those who don’t need them, and by adopting policies like inclusionary zoning at the local level,” Cr Sri said.
Senator Waters (Monique Vandeleur) 0419 626 725
Senator Ludlam (Sarah Quinton) 0408 533 877
Karen Anderson (Ben Pennings) 0418 164 014
Jonathan Sri 0432 184 942