19th Jun 2018, 4:33 PM – Senate Motions - Social Housing - Reject charging market rates

The majority supported a motion introduced by Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon also in the name of Labor Senator Doug Cameron, which means it succeeded. Motions like these don’t change the law by themselves but can be politically influential as they represent the political will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the latest census data indicates that there has been a 13 per cent rise in homelessness since 2011,

(ii) a well-functioning social housing system that is affordable for tenants is important in reducing homelessness,

(iii) charging tenants a proportion of income as rent, as opposed to market rent, has proved an effective way to ensure affordability, and

(iv) the Productivity Commission's report no. 85, Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Reforms to Human Services, recommends state and territory governments charge new social housing tenant market rents; and

(b) calls on the Turnbull Government to reject the recommendation that state and territory governments charge social housing tenants market rates.