Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters has welcomed the federal government's establishment of an interim council on housing supply and affordability, which came into being on January 1.
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The interim National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, to be moved to a permanent footing through legislation, will deliver independent advice to the government on ways to tackle the housing shortage and affordability crises, including through the development of a national housing and homelessness plan.
It will be led by Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, who is the CEO of Mirvac Group and has held positions on the board of the Property Council of Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia.
The interim council's establishment and the creation of the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund were the Albanese government's key election commitments on housing.
The government expects legislation to enact both initiatives to be introduced into the parliament early this year.
"I welcome the creation of the interim council as we are in the midst of a housing affordability crisis across Bendigo and central Victoria," Ms Chesters told the Bendigo Advertiser.
"Right now, real estate agents have long waitlists of individuals and families desperately wanting to find a place to rent but there simply aren't enough properties available."
"I'm particularly worried about people who are on fixed incomes. The properties that are available have never been more expensive. That's why affordability is just as critical as supply."
The Albanese government's ambitious housing agenda includes funding the construction of 30,000 new social and affordable properties in five years through the new Future Fund.
Four-thousand of the homes are to be earmarked for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence or older women at risk of homelessness.
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Federal housing minister Julie Collins said in a statement the properties would be built from investment returns from the Future Fund, which would also be used to address acute housing needs, including repairs and maintenance and transitional accommodation.
"Our ambitious housing agenda will help ensure there will be a pipeline delivering new homes for Australians, and this fund will be a major component," the minister said.
"This is a significant and long-term investment, with returns being invested in new social and affordable housing across the country."
In its November budget the Albanese government expanded its housing agenda with a "shared ambition" to see one million new well-located homes built over five years from 2024.
It also planned to develop a "Help to Buy program", which would reduce the cost of buying a home.
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