Housing Affordability
Letter to the editor of the Parramatta Sun on The Greens policy on affordable housing.
The Editor,
Parramatta Sun
Anyone walking down the Parramatta Mall outside the Town Hall last Saturday 8 September, would have found that The Greens candidate for Parramatta, Astrid O’Neill and her helpers were handing out leaflets on The Greens policy on affordable housing. As The Greens were not included in your “Election countdown” feature of September 12 on “How will you improve housing affordability in Parramatta”, your readers may be wondering where The Greens stand on this issue. The Greens policy recognises that affordable, adequate, safe and secure housing is a human right. The emphasis is on the elimination of housing related poverty.
The housing needs of low income Australians come first. Funding should be increased for a mix of affordable options, including emergency accommodation, community housing, public housing, shared equity with housing providers and private rental housing. Waiting lists for public and community housing will be decreased urgently. Landlords will get tax incentives to rent affordably to low income Australians.
We encourage a social mix of private and public housing with a target of 20% low cost housing. This avoids the creation of socio-economic ghettos.
We are the only party to have the courage to say that we will increase the number of Australians who can afford their own home by reviewing the existing subsidies and incentives for housing and property investment. That includes means testing the first home owners grant. There is no reason why struggling Australians should subsidise wealthy people buying a very expensive house.
And last but not least, The Greens will develop national planning and building standards which are environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and which create viable communities.
Astrid O’Neill
The Greens candidate for Parramatta
