Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Senator Gallagher. The Albanese government is delivering on its wide-reaching housing agenda. We've seen reporting today on the impact the decade of little action from those opposite is now having on Australian renters. Is the minister able to provide an update to the Senate on what the Albanese government is doing to improve the experience of renting a home in Australia?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bilyk for the question and for the work that she does in Tasmania in supporting access to housing and campaigning for a better deal for Australians in access to the supply of social and affordable housing and also for those who are renting.

While states have responsibility over tenancy laws, the Albanese government is showing national leadership, working with state, territory and local governments to deliver better housing outcomes. We were elected with an ambitious housing agenda to ensure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home, and that agenda includes the steps we're taking to strengthen renters' rights. We're delivering changes to make a real difference to the almost one-third of Australian householders who rent. In August, National Cabinet agreed on a better deal for renters, and states are now working on improving rental regulations in their areas, with nine agreed actions they are progressing to improve conditions for renters, including changes like: developing a nationally consistent policy to implement a requirement for genuine reasonable grounds for eviction; making rental applications easier and better protecting renters' personal information; and improving protections for tenants experiencing domestic or family violence.

We're also providing the one million households who receive Commonwealth rent assistance with improved support by increasing the maximum rate of this payment by 15 per cent in the last budget. This is the biggest increase in CRA in over 30 years. In the budget there were also announcements to encourage the delivery of new build-to-rent homes with some changes to tax arrangements alongside our significant investments to increase the supply of new social and affordable rental homes. These measures all combined together will make a real difference to the lives of renters right across Australia.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, first supplementary?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that answer. It's encouraging to hear that the Albanese government is showing national leadership in strengthening renters' rights. Can you provide more information to the Senate on the work the government is doing to deliver on its ambitious housing reform to improve the supply of more affordable rental housing for Australians?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bilyk for the question. I also want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of Minister Collins in this area. She has been working tirelessly over the last 18 months, fellow Tasmanian, to deliver on this reform agenda. With every step of our agenda we're improving access to safe and affordable homes for Australians. To name just a few measures, they are the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator, the $2 billion in additional financing for community housing providers and the $1.7 billion one-year extension to the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. We are seeing homes under construction thanks to the $575 million we have unlocked from the National Housing Infrastructure Facility, and we have recently committed a further $1 billion to this facility to deliver even more homes.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bilyk, second supplementary?

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():  Thank you, Minister, for providing more information. As the duty senator for Minister Collins, I'm very aware of how much work she's put into it. In addition to boosting the supply of housing and supporting protections for those who are renting a home, what is the Albanese government doing to support more Australians to move into home ownership?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the election the government has now helped more than 73,000 Australians into their first home, including more than 10,000 Australians in regional Australia through the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. We introduced the regional guarantee in October last year, three months ahead of schedule, and made significant expansions to the wider Home Guarantee Scheme just a few months later. These changes have proven to be a success. We have made the scheme better for young people. We've made the scheme better for key workers like teachers, nurses and social workers. We've got a very ambitious housing reform agenda delivering for Australians. We recognise that this is an area of significant challenge. We recognise it's been an area that has suffered under a decade of dysfunction and being ignored by the former government. In the last 18 months we have outlined and are implementing and delivering for Australians a very comprehensive housing reform agenda that's focused on increasing supply across the country.