We are in a housing crisis.
The ACT is one of the most expensive places to rent in the country. Many Canberrans are facing severe rental stress, with some essential workers paying up to 76% of their income on rent.
This is a crisis - but it is important to understand that this crisis has not evolved organically. This is a crisis created by the policies of successive Federal Liberal and Labor Governments that have consistently favoured the rich over everyone else.
With Greens in Government here in the ACT we have over many years improved renters rights and address housing inequality.
But we can and MUST do more.
That's why the ACT Greens have joined our federal, state and territory Greens calling for a two-year rent freeze and to limit how much rents can be increased. We need action here, and nationally.
ACT Greens Leader, Shane Rattenbury, has written to the ACT Chief Minister imploring him to consider this urgent action at the Territory level. In a crisis, Governments must do everything they can to respond.
The ACT Greens have joined our state and federal Greens colleagues in calling for:
- The introduction of a two-year rent freeze
- A 2% cap to all rent increases
- This applies to rent increases between new tenancies
- This will also remove the mechanism which allows a 2% cap to be overridden by tenancy agreements
From within Government and from the Crossbench, the ACT Greens have been working hard to tackle the housing crisis with a suite of policy measures including:
- Securing a record investment in public housing through the Parliamentary & Governing Agreement
