VicVotes 2018 - How will the parties house the state?

With rising rental costs, more than 80,000 people on the public housing waiting list, and retirement housing residents subject to unfair charges and dodgy operators, how will the policies and election promises of the major parties address these crisis?

Victorian Labor

  • 1000 new public housing units over three years, mostly in Geelong and Ballarat
  • 'Public Housing Renewal Project' - selling off Victoria's public housing to private developers. HAAGs concerns about the PHRP can be read here.
  • $12.1 million ($26.1m/4 years) towards the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Plan, including multi-disciplinary homelessness response teams, modular housing, additional accommodation projects and housing head-leasing
  • Homes for Victorians package including $2.1 billion in a capital accumulation fund and social housing finance
  • $1.6 million ($22.2m/4 years) for fire safety improvements in inner Melbourne high rise public housing estates
  • $0.3 million for a feasibility study and business case to develop a Central Highlands Housing First Response Pilot

Liberal National Party

  • Cap building heights to two storeys on a public and private housing proposal in Ashburton
  • Considering supporting or opposing the Public Housing Renewal Project on a 'case by case' basis.
  • Fast-track the release of up to an additional 290,000 residential housing lots to help make more houses more affordable
  • Introduce financial penalties for authorities such as local councils that unreasonably delay the supply of new land
  • Establish an Ombudsman for Retirement Housing to provide binding resolutions to eligible disputes in the retirement housing sector

Victorian Greens

  • 40,000 new and refurbished public housing units over the next six years, followed by another 40,000 after a further six years
  • Opposes the 'Public Housing Renewal Project' - stopping the sell off Victoria's public housing.
  • Appoint a Victorian Housing Ombudsman to settle disputes across the housing sector in a free, fast and fair manner
  • A commitment to cap rents at inflation
  • Promote alternative forms of home ownership, such as community land trusts, leasehold schemes, co-housing, self- build schemes and shared equity
  • Greater tenants’ rights, including a complete ban on rental bidding
Published : 
15 Nov 2018