The national cabinet is hoping it can strike a deal with the states and territories that will improve rights for renters, as the Albanese Government wards off a push for a freeze on rent prices. Source: ABC News.
The Government is yet to convince enough senators to pass its signature housing bill, which would help to pay for up to 30,000 new social and affordable homes over the next five years.
The Greens have withheld their support on the bill, saying more must be done to help renters and suggesting the government provide incentives to the states to impose two-year rent freezes.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has continued to reject the prospect of a rent freeze, saying that would be a matter for states to decide.
“We will not be nationalising private housing in this country,” told parliament on Tuesday.
National cabinet meets next week and has set an agenda to agree on housing and planning reforms, including proposals to increase housing supply and affordability.
The government has been adamant that rent freezes would further harm affordability by discouraging investment and slowing the creation of new housing stock.
Instead, national cabinet will consider how to better align rental policy across the states and territories, such as on no-cause evictions.
“Our key priority for this meeting is increasing housing supply and affordability across Australia,” Mr Albanese said in a statement.
Analysis commissioned by the Greens suggested that if rents were frozen 12 months ago in every state and territory, it would have saved the average renting household from $554 in Tasmania to $1,871 in Queensland.
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Prime minister and premiers aim for deal on renters’ rights at national cabinet housing meeting (By Jake Evans, ABC News)
