The ACT Greens have described ACT Labor's public housing proposal as underwhelming and disappointing, saying it falls far short of the bold, transformative action voters are demanding to fix the housing crisis in this election.
"In a market that is squeezing every last cent out of Canberrans and putting a reasonably priced home more and more out of reach, we urgently need to ramp up public housing construction to give many Canberrans rents they can actually afford," said Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens, Rebecca Vassarotti.
"But unfortunately, today's announcement from ACT Labor lacks the ambition and the vision to make meaningful and practical change for Canberrans in an area that many Canberrans have flagged as their highest priority in this election.
"By leaving the bulk of their housing strategy to the market, ACT Labor's will leave many Canberrans stuck with astronomical mortgage repayments and incredibly high rents for decades to come.
"Even worse, even with the current public housing waiting list, this plan will leave over 2000 people still without a safe place to call home.
"The question Canberrans have to ask themselves is, are we really willing to vote for a future where the investor-first housing market continues unchecked?
"Are we really willing to vote for a future where over 2,000 Canberrans remain homeless, while we fail to take action in one of the wealthiest cities in the country?
"This election, it's time to demand real solutions. We need to see commitment to addressing the issue with urgency and conviction. When you scratch below the surface on this one, its limitations are quickly exposed.
"Building public homes that people can actually afford is one of the only levers the ACT Government has to make a real difference in this housing crisis.
"The ACT Greens have a bold and ambitious plan to build 10,000 new public homes people can actually afford over the next decade.
"Because these homes will be built by the government, Canberrans will be sheltered from the investors' market set up by the Federal Labor and Liberal parties, instead having a stable rent that doesn't break the bank.
"Our plan is fully costed and modelled to show that the ACT Government can deliver on this level of ambition.
"The message to Canberrans is clear, if you want meaningful action on the housing crisis, the only option this election is to vote Greens.
"This kind of change is absolutely possible, all you have to do is vote for it."
Our full plan to build public housing is available on the ACT Greens website
