RUDD ON A WINNER WITH RENT AFFORDABILITY PLAN

Queensland Housing Minister Robert Schwarten said today that Australian voters were being offered a real choice when it comes to the issue of housing affordability at the next election.

“After nine years of Howards policies driving the rent market to the point of collapse it is refreshing to see Kevin Rudd and his team deliver a visionary policy on private rental affordability,” he said.

“On the one hand you have Prime Minister Howard and Minister Brough abandoning public housing altogether and saying they will look for solutions in the private market.

“Now the alternative government led by Kevin Rudd has announced a large intervention in the private rental market to build 50,000 extra affordable homes to rent.

“The choice at the next election could not be clearer: More of the same from blame game from Howard or Labor’s plan to provide incentives to reduce rent by 20% for 50,000 homes,” he said.

Mr Schwarten said the Federal Labor plan for a National Rental Affordability Scheme recognised that the key problem in the private rental market was a lack of affordable homes to rent.

“In Queensland there are today 114,000 less homes to rent for less than $200 per week than there were in the year 2000,” he said.

“The Howard Government’s plan is just to pour money into the private rental market through Commonwealth rent assistance and let rents spiral higher and higher.

Despite private rents forcing tenants onto State Housing waitlists John Howard has refused to acknowledge there is a problem.

“This Rudd plan intervenes in the private rental market through ensuring real returns to institutional investors through a combination of direct subsidies and tax concessions.

“I have spoken to institutional investors on many occasions and I know they are keen to get involved in affordable housing when the incentives are there at a Federal level.

“This plan will open the doors for the huge amounts held in superannuation funds to build affordable housing for working families.

“It is the best announcement to come out of Canberra in a decade.

“Not only has Kevin Rudd established a Housing Shadow Ministery but he has also appointed a highly committed and competent Shadow Minister in Ms Tanya Plibersek to this portfolio.

“I believe she will make a real difference in pushing policies that will help working Australians deal with the Howard created Housing issues,” he said.

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