Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi and Parkes candidate Trish Frail have unveiled their party's regional housing affordability plans assisting first home buyers obtain as cheap as $300,000 to have roofs over their heads.
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It's part of the Greens' 20-year Federal Housing Trust establishing a million homes across the country, two-thirds going for low-income families on the public housing waiting list that Ms Faruqi said has burgeoned in the past few years owing to insufficient spending on public housing.
Ms Faruqi, who represents Sydney in the upper house, announced the Greens' plan with Ms Frail at the pre-poll centre in Dubbo on Thursday, also accusing their Coalition opponents of "doing absolutely nothing when the only solution to [housing problem] is by building more affordable public homes".
"We know that the housing system is pretty crooked and there are some people making massive profits while so many are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Rent is through the roof and housing prices skyrocketed.
Skyrocketing prices on housing and rentals
"We know in central west [NSW], its 30 percent increase in housing prices since last year, Dubbo is over 20 percent while rent is 11 percent more and close to zero vacancies so people across Australia whether living in the city, regional or rural areas are really struggling with the cost of living and affordability of homes."
Ms Frail, a Brewarrina Shire councilor, said from her experience working in the public housing sector in the region that it's mostly families, young people, and older women that find themselves with "nowhere to go" and it has been affecting their mental health.
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"Homelessness and housing insecurity are not inevitable. They are choices that governments of both stripes have made over the years and it's time now to make a totally different choice," Ms Faruqi said.
"After the election, our first goal is to turf out Scott Morrison's government and the Greens in shared power with a new government and we will make affordable housing a new priority." The Greens also called for higher taxes on multinational companies and corporations.
"After the election, our first goal is to turf out Scott Morrison's government and the Greens in shared power with a new government and we will make affordable housing a new priority."
- Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi