Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Housing and Homelessness. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to address housing affordability? How does the budget help Australians manage cost-of-living pressures?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Macarthur because I know that he, like many on this side of the House and I'm sure those on the other side, is concerned about the cost of living and particularly about housing affordability, which is why, of course, in our budget we are focused on cost-of-living measures that will not put pressure on inflation—such as cheaper child care, cheaper medicines, getting wages moving, expanding paid parental leave and more affordable housing. Indeed, one of the central parts of the budget was the new national housing accord. Importantly, it's been agreed by each tier of government, by investors and by industry. It is a commitment to work together to address the systemic problems that we have in the housing market. And it will be guided—as will, of course, our overall architecture in terms of housing—by a national supply and affordability council.

It will be providing advice to governments to make sure that we are dealing with supply to get more affordable homes on the ground more quickly. Indeed, we want to remove the barriers to get more affordable homes on the ground more quickly, and we are delivering right across the housing spectrum with the budget, the Housing Australia Future Fund, 30,000 social and affordable homes across the country, our help-to-buy scheme and, importantly, our Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, which was due to start on 1 January next year and which we brought forward to 1 October.

I'm pleased to tell the House that, since 1 October, 574 people have actually taken up the scheme in regional Australia to get into their first home. That is good news for those first-home buyers in regional Australia. That is just since 1 October. Indeed, we have said through the Jobs and Skills Summit that we would work quickly to get money on the ground in terms of widening the remit of the National Housing Infrastructure Facility. I'm pleased to advise the House that this week we have indeed set out to amend the National Housing Infrastructure Facility with up to $575 million to deliver more social and affordable homes, with the money available before Christmas. In just a few weeks time, that money will be available to get more social and affordable homes on the ground. Indeed, it is part of our overall architecture and our election commitments, but the accord is also part of the budget and, long-term, the National Housing and Homelessness Plan.

As the CEO of HESTA Super Fund said:

There is no single solution to this housing crisis, but all levels of Government have a role to play. That's why it's fantastic to see this framework for all stakeholders to come together to overcome challenges because now is the time to get the policy settings right.

Our investments are right for the times, they're right for the future and they'll deliver more social and affordable homes for Australians to get more Australians into a home.