Solving Our Housing Crisis

The property market is cooked. Rent is out of control. The floods have put even more pressure on housing and locals are being pushed into homelessness. 

Byron Bay saw the largest increase in rents in Australia last year; Kingscliff, Fingal Head, Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores also made the top 10. Only a massive investment in public housing will provide the affordable housing we need. The Greens will push for a Federal Housing Trust to build one million new publicly owned, affordable, high-quality and sustainable homes including:

• 750,000 new public and social houses to slash public housing waiting lists and end homelessness
• Build 125,000 new shared ownership homes, which will allow first-home buyers to buy a home for $300,000.
• Build 125,000 new public rental homes to provide affordable housing for more people who want to live in communities close to where they work, especially essential and frontline workers.
• Create 135,000 new jobs in construction and services to support Australia’s economic recovery as we build new homes and renovate existing ones.

We also have a plan for renters. Every week I hear from people who are kicked out so that their landlords can jack up the rent. People go without things like hot water because they don’t want to complain for fear of losing their home. It’s not ok. 

Our plan is to: 

• Limit the amount and frequency of rent rises in private rentals.
• Prohibit ‘no grounds’ evictions and give tenants the option of European Style long-term leases.
• Allow tenants to make minor changes without permission from their landlord.
• Prohibit blanket ‘no pets’ clauses in leases.
• Ensure appropriate tenancy protections for victims of domestic violence in all states and territories.
• Enforce disability access, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability standards for rental homes.