Housing affordability is reaching crisis levels across Monash, with families struggling to keep up with rent and mortgage payments. People should be able to afford to live in their communities.
I have a comprehensive plan for urgent action to ensure everyone in our community has a safe, secure and affordable place to call home through:
Expanding Housing Supply
I will fight to increase housing availability across Monash by:
- Building social, public and affordable housing within existing town boundaries
- Incentivising property owners to offer long-term rentals rather than short-term stays
- Supporting Helen Haines MP's $2 billion Regional Housing Infrastructure Fund to provide essential infrastructure for new homes
- Allowing second dwellings on residential and rural properties for granny flats and tiny homes
- Building key worker housing to address workforce shortages in essential services
Making Housing More Affordable
I will work to make housing more affordable by:
- Bringing interest rates under control to reduce mortgage stress
- Ensuring rental affordability
- Supporting people to downsize
- Increasing competition in the housing market by supporting social enterprise housing developers
- Reinstating government's role in developing and building new housing estates
Strengthening Social Housing
A strong social housing system is essential. I will push to:
- Build more social and public housing within existing town boundaries
- Stop the sale of government housing and investing in repairs and maintenance
- Increase emergency accommodation for victim/survivors of family violence
- Support community-managed retirement villages that provide affordable accommodation for all ages
- Address root causes of homelessness through comprehensive support services
- Fund Youth Foyers across Gippsland to support young people facing homelessness
Building Industry Capacity
To deliver more housing, we need a strong construction industry that provides local jobs and supports our regional economy. I will advocate for:
- Increasing apprenticeships and training opportunities to expand the building workforce
- Supporting adoption of new construction technologies to improve efficiency
- Working with local councils to streamline approval processes