PM’s $2bn housing deal with states ahead of Greens showdown

Anthony Albanese will bankroll a new $2bn social housing accelerator fund and heap pressure on the Greens ahead of a parliamentary showdown next week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will bankroll a new $2bn social housing accelerator fund. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Anthony Albanese will bankroll a new $2bn social housing accelerator fund and heap pressure on the Greens ahead of a parliamentary showdown next week over the federal government’s $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund.

The Prime Minister on Saturday will announce the funding will be delivered to state and territory governments within two weeks after a deal was struck with premiers and chief ministers.

In a speech to the Victorian Labor conference, Mr Albanese will lash the Greens over their fierce resistance to the government’s election promise to have the housing future fund in place by mid-2023.

With only one parliamentary sitting week remaining before the winter break, Mr Albanese will ­attack the Greens for putting political interest ahead of the national interest in opposing the HAFF bill.

“Our government is not going to wait around while members of the Greens political party call for more housing in the media while opposing it in their electorates and voting against it in the parliament,” Mr Albanese will say.

“The Greens imagine that their stubborn, inflexible refusal to compromise or negotiate serves their political interest. But, delegates, our focus is the national interest. They are a party of protest. Happy to promise the world, while organising a petition against every new apartment building. The Greens have blocked more houses than they’ve ever built.”

Mr Albanese’s intervention comes as the Greens prepare for a final-week showdown over their $2.5bn demand for more public and affordable housing and a ­national rent freeze. The $2bn investment, which is additional to the government’s existing multibillion-dollar housing budget commitments, will be used to turbo­charge the construction of new social housing.

The Weekend Australian ­understands the funding will be used for new builds, spot purchasing and renovating uninhabitable homes.

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Mr Albanese will tell Victorian ALP delegates that “this is new money – right now – for new social housing”. “At our most recent national cabinet, we agreed to work with the states and territories to strengthen renters’ rights and to deliver planning reforms that will boost housing supply and affordability,” he will say.

“We understand this is a national challenge where every level of government has a role to play. The last decade has seen the proportion of social housing decline from 4.7 per cent to 4.2 per cent of households. Demand for social housing has increased almost three times as fast as the growth in population.”

Mr Albanese will say premiers and chief ministers have committed to “ensuring that investment in housing will work alongside better planning laws, reforming zoning and freeing-up more land for new builds”.

“That’s what this is about: real dollars, driving real change and building more homes.

“Every Australian deserves the sense of ­connection and community and dignity and stability that a home provides.” Since the election, the Albanese government has unlocked $575m to invest in social and ­affordable homes, provided incentives to support build-to-rent ­accommodation and additional resources for community housing, and created the ­National Housing Accord, which pledges to build one million homes by 2030.

Housing Minister Julie Collins this week offered the Greens a compromise to win support on Labor’s signature housing policy, guaranteeing a minimum $500m investment to build new homes each year.