Media release – City of Hobart, 14 September 2023

Hobart needs to be at the front of the Housing Australia Future Fund

The City of Hobart welcomes the passing of the Housing Australia Future Fund through Federal Parliament.

Acting Hobart Lord Mayor Helen Burnet said she hoped the Tasmanian capital would be at the forefront for consideration when the $10 billion fund – Australia’s biggest investment in social and affordable housing in more than a decade – is rolled out.

The Australian Government has committed to 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund’s first five years, with an additional $1 billion invested in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support new homes.

“This has the potential to be make a real difference to Hobart’s housing crisis and I welcome the commitment by the federal government to tackle this issue,” Cr Burnet said.

“The Hobart City Council is committed to addressing housing access and affordability in Hobart through practical partnerships that help realise the goals of state and national housing policies at a local level, with a focus on increasing the supply of appropriate housing within the City.

“For example, the City of Hobart has recently assisted developers for an application for the construction of 22 social housing dwellings in New Town and we are continuing to work towards limiting the number of whole dwellings being lost to the rental market to short stay accommodation.

“Earlier this week, a report from the Real Estate Institute of Australia showed Hobart had the greatest number of short stay accommodation listings in Tasmania.

“It is nearly twice as many listings as any other council area and has grown by 25 per cent in the past year.”

Hobart Housing and Homelessness Portfolio Chair Mike Dutta said the fund was a huge step in the right direction.

“But the facts show we also need immediate action,” Cr Dutta said.

“The 2021 census figures showed homelessness in Tasmania jumped by 45 per cent from the 2016 census – these are catastrophic figures.

“We urge the federal government to put Hobart at the top of its list and make it a top priority for those in urgent need of assistance.”

Statement – Senator Tammy Tyrrell, Jacqui Lambie Network Senator for Tasmania, 11 September 2023

TYRRELL WELCOMES HAFF SUPPORT

“I’m sending the Greens a pat on the back after coming to an agreement with the Government over the Housing Australia Future Fund.

“I’ll never say no to more money for housing, and an extra $1 billion is a good outcome. I’m just disappointed it took so long.

“It’s funny that the Greens attacked me for doing a deal over the HAFF, but it seems they’ve seen the light and gone and done a deal. I’m here to deliver for Tasmania and get results for them.

“This is great news for Tasmania. The minimum guarantee of 1200 homes over the next five years that I negotiated will now be delivered. This means that homelessness will be going backwards for the first time ever in Tasmania.

“It’s time to get this bill passed and start building much-needed houses on the ground in Tassie.”

Media release – Australian Greens, 11 September 2023

GREENS PRESSURE EXTRACTS $3 BILLION SPENT DIRECTLY ON HOUSING, HAFF WILL PASS SENATE, FIGHT FOR RENT FREEZE AND RENT CAPS CONTINUES

In exchange for the Greens’ support of the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill, the government has today agreed to spend a further $1 billion in immediate and direct spending on public and community housing. The funding will be distributed through the National Housing and Investment Finance Corporation.

This brings the total housing spend extracted from Labor by the Greens to $3 billion immediately and directly – six times the maximum the government was initially willing to spend on an annual basis. The government earlier this year announced $2b would be directly spent from consolidated revenue this year, and now the Greens have secured an additional $1b.

From the outset, the Greens identified two major problems with the HAFF: the initial bill provided woefully insufficient funding for housing now, as it was entirely contingent on stock market returns; and it does nothing for the one third of the country who rent.

Since negotiations began, the government has agreed to a guarantee that the HAFF would disburse $500m regardless of the performance of the fund, and has now agreed to an additional $3 billion directly spent on housing and delivered immediately. Importantly the Greens have also forced the issue of the rental crisis onto the national agenda.

With these changes, the Greens say that it does more to urgently fund housing, with the $3 billion immediately and directly spent on housing, instead of the delayed and indirect model of the HAFF. The Greens will accept this offer and use balance of power to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund during this sitting fortnight.

However, with Labor still refusing to do anything to support renters, and with further significant Senate balance of power bills coming up, the Greens have warned that the campaign to force the government to move on renters has just begun.

Summary of outcomes from Greens pressure:

Lines attributable to Adam Bandt MP, Leader of the Australian Greens:

“Renters are powerful and the Greens are the party of renters. We have won more money for housing for renters, and rent control is next,” Mr Bandt said.

“Nine months ago, the government refused to guarantee a single dollar for housing, and renters barely even registered in the national debate. The Greens have secured $3 billion directly spent on housing, and renters are now a vocal social movement that won’t be ignored.

“Labor’s HAFF still won’t fix the housing crisis, but the Greens have secured $3 billion dollars for housing right now – not relying on a gamble on the stock market – and we’ve got to a position where it can pass the Senate.

“Renters have watched on in horror as Labor has refused to cap and freeze soaring rents.

“I say this to Labor: if you continue to ignore renters, your political pain has just begun. There are several more significant bills on the immediate horizon where the Greens will use our position in balance of power to push the government to address soaring rents with a freeze and cap on rents.

“Pressure works. Labor said there was no more money for housing this year and we pushed them to find $3b, and although Labor backs unlimited rent rises, we’ll push them on that too.

“Renters are on the march, and the Greens will be fighting alongside them all the way.”

Lines attributable to Greens housing and homelessness spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather MP:

“Nine months ago there wasn’t a single dollar of guaranteed investment in public and community housing and renters were invisible, and now there is $3 billion going out the door right now and renters have a national voice for the first time because the Greens stood up and fought.

“Greens power secured six times what Labor wanted to spend on social housing in a single year for public and community housing, and now we are going to use that power to win a freeze and cap on rent increases.

“Our message to renters is your voice and vote is powerful and the Greens are ready to fight for you, and know that we won’t stop until every renter in this country has a safe and affordable place to call home.

“We couldn’t get Labor to care about the one third of this country who rents, so we are putting Labor on notice for every future housing bill, the Greens are ready to stand up and fight for a freeze and cap on rent increases.

“Labor had the opportunity to freeze and cap rent increases through National Cabinet and they refused, so from now on every rent increase is Labor’s fault, and come next election Labor should be prepared to hear from renters loud and clear they are fed up with being treated as second class citizens.

“To every housing organisation and crossbench MP who told us to pass the HAFF Bill in its original form, sit up and pay attention. When we stay at the negotiating table we get outcomes, and $3 billion of additional guaranteed and immediate money is proof that Greens in balance of power can drag Labor kicking and screaming to taking meaningful action. If we praise the Labor party for offering crumbs, that’s all we’ll get.”

Media release – Julie Collins MP, Minister for Housing; Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia, 14 September 2023

Landmark housing legislation passes the Parliament

The Albanese Labor Government’s landmark legislation to deliver the single biggest investment in affordable and social housing in more than a decade has passed the Parliament.

The $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund will now be established, creating a secure, ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable rental housing.

This will be life changing legislation that will help generations of Australians.

The passage of this legislation delivers on the commitment the Albanese Government made to the Australian people before the election.

The Housing Australia Future Fund will help deliver the Government’s commitment of 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes in the fund’s first five years.

This includes 4,000 homes for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness.

The Fund will also deliver the Government’s commitments to help address acute housing needs, including:

  • $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities
  • $100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence and older women at risk of homelessness
  • And $30 million to build housing for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness

The package of housing legislation passed by the Parliament this week also includes the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bill 2023, which will establish the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council as an independent statutory advisory body.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Housing Measures No. 1) Bill 2023 changes the name of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation to Housing Australia and streamlines its functions.

The Housing Australia Future Fund is one part of the Albanese Government’s ambitious housing reform agenda, which also includes:

  • A new national target to build 1.2 million well-located homes
  • A $3 billion New Homes Bonus, and $500 million Housing Support Program
  • A $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator to deliver thousands of new social homes across Australia
  • A National Housing Accord which includes federal funding to deliver 10,000 affordable homes over five years from 2024 (to be matched by up to another 10,000 by the states and territories)
  • An investment of an additional $1 billion in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to support more homes
  • Up to $575 million in funding already unlocked from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, with homes under construction across the country
  • Increasing the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 15 per cent, the largest increase in more than 30 years
  • An additional $2 billion in financing for more social and affordable rental housing through the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation
  • New incentives to boost the supply of rental housing by changing arrangements for investments in Build-to-Rent accommodation
  • A $1.7 billion one year extension of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement with states and territories, including a $67.5 million boost to homelessness funding over the next year
  • The development of a new National Housing and Homelessness Plan
  • States and territories committing to A Better Deal for Renters
  • States and territories supporting the national roll out of the Help to Buy program, which will reduce the cost of buying a home
  • Helping more than 67,000 people into home ownership through the Home Guarantee Scheme since being elected, and recently expanding program eligibility