The Housing Australia Future Fund Bill is set for a vote in the Senate soon

Housing Minister Julie Collins is ramping up the pressure on Senators to pass the government’s housing fund bill. How the Greens have responded >>

Dan Frost from Mission Australia Housing with Federal Minister for Housing, Julie Collins at the new housing project in Burtonia Street in Rokeby. Picture: Linda Higginson

Housing Minister Julie Collins has ramped up the pressure over key affordable housing legislation, urging the Greens to “stop delaying”.

The Bill to create a $10bn investment fund to finance affordable housing has been stalled in the Senate, as the federal government struggles to gain the necessary numbers.

Visiting an affordable housing development site in Rokeby on Friday, Ms Collins said the government was doing all it could to get homes out of the ground quickly.

The federal government loaned Mission Australia $3.75m to prepare the 47 blocks in Burtonia St Rokeby for development.

Ms Collins said the mixed public and private development was an example of what could be achieved by housing providers with federal government investment.

“Of course we would be able to do more, and we want to do more, if we can get our Housing Australia Future Fund Bill through the Senate. In coming weeks that Bill will be in the Senate for a vote. What I would say to Liberal Senators and to Greens Senators is the time for delays is over. We have far too many Tasmanians and far too many Australians who are finding it difficult to find somewhere safe and affordable to live,” Ms Collins said.

Labor says it will spend up to $500m worth of returns from the $10bn HAFF on social and affordable housing each year, with a promise of 30,000 new dwellings in the first five years.

Greens senator Nick McKim. Stop the Stadium rally on parliament lawns Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmanian Greens Senator Nick McKim said his party would pass the Housing Fund legislation this month if Labor offered $1bn to the states for a national two year freeze on rent increases, and guaranteed a minimum $2.5bn a year spent directly on affordable public and social housing.

“We have made this compromise offer in good faith because it’s in the interest of people who are homeless or under rental stress right now,” Senator McKim said.

“Ms Collins is happy for Labor to spend over $12bn every year on taxpayer subsidies for property speculators, so she needs to explain why she’s refusing to spend $3.5bn a year to freeze rents and build more public and affordable homes.

“Ms Collins should stop shilling for property speculators and start doing her job to build more homes. Housing is a human right, not an investment class as Ms Collins believes.”

The Jacqui Lambie Network’s two Tasmanian Senators are supporting the Bill after the government guaranteed 1200 affordable homes for Tasmania.