Super approaches to housing
6 Aug 2007
Greens MLA Deb Foskey asked the ACT Government to release its review of government investment, set up earlier this year in response to Greens pressure.
“The review, which was set up in March and due to report in May, will have looked at investing superannuation into affordable housing among other socially responsible investment possibilities” Dr Foskey said today.
“Now the ACT Chief Minister is blaming the attractiveness of superannuation for a fall in rental property investment.”
“The Greens have long argued that a balanced and socially responsible superannuation fund could, and should, include the provision of low cost housing as one of its strategies.”
“The ACT Government has shown it is prepared to offer a lead on key issues, by introducing a Human Rights Act and, most recently, with its proposed feed in laws for solar power.”
“Taking a socially responsible approach to Government investment – in this case through supporting the provision of affordable housing – ought not to be beyond its capacity.”
“The Liberal Opposition likes to blame land release policies for the affordable housing crisis. Like most serious economic problems, the causes are more complex than that. We need to be looking a range of measures to influence the housing market, particularly at the bottom end where un-affordability is hurting the most.”
“The ACT Labor Government has a strategy in place now, but that strategy is limited in scope. Using existing investment funds to support the growth of affordable rental housing could make a real difference to its impact” Dr Foskey said.
