Anthony Albanese lines up big win on housing after Senate agrees to force vote

After a months-long standoff and $3bn in extra funding, a deal has finally been secured to have the Prime Minister’s election promise sail through the parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s signature housing policy is set to sail through the Senate after finally clinching support from the crossbench.

A vote on the Housing Australia Future Fund bill will be held before question time on Wednesday after senators agreed to revive the shelved legislation and force the vote to be held.

The HAFF would invest $10bn with the Future Fund and will spend a minimum $500m a year to build at least 30,000 dwellings over five years.

Under the deal, announced on Monday, the federal government will chip in a further $1bn for public and community housing in return for the Greens’ support.

It ended a months-long standoff between Labor and the minor party and came after the government tipped in a further $2bn in funding to the states for public housing in June.

Anthony Albanese has celebrated the deal as a win. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Prime Minister said the policy was the “single biggest investment in housing” for more than a decade.

“We are working for Australia and we are delivering on our commitments each and every day,” he said on Tuesday.

“I thank the crossbench in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for their support. Those opposite, of course, continue to say no.”

In August, national cabinet agreed to limit rent increases to once a year, falling short of the Greens demand for a nationally co-ordinated rent freeze.

The HAFF will fly through the senate with support of the crossbench. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

Rent freezes are opposed by all state and territory governments.

But the Greens have vowed to “hold firm” on renters rights and warned Labor risks losing seats at the next election if it does not shift its gears.

“If this is what it takes to get Labor to recognise they have to shift on rents, then there’s a lot of seats across the country that they stand to lose to the Greens,” a party spokesman said on Tuesday.

“If we come to the next election and they (Labor) have genuinely not shifted on rents, I think that would be catastrophic for them.”

It’s understood Sydney, held by frontbencher Tanya Plibersek, and Josh Burns’ held Macnamara in inner-Melbourne, are key target seats for the Greens.