One would be hard pressed to describe phases one and two of the Affordable Housing Action Plan as a raging success.
But undeterred Andrew Barr has announced Phase III and promised Labor will be “continuing to deliver on our commitment for more affordable housing”, which as strings of weasel words go is deserving of posterity.
The plans are:
Increasing supply of rental accommodation
• Reduce land tax on properties with average unimproved land values between $75,000 and $390,000.
• Encourage institutional investment in affordable rental properties.
• Increase the supply of affordable rental properties through transfer of land or surplus properties to the community housing sector.
• Investigate a requirement for the delivery of public and community housing stock in large infill and greenfield residential developments.Better utilising existing sites
• Provide grants to small clubs to assess the viability of their sites for residential development.
• Assess and consider options for facilitating residential development on underutilised community facility land.
• Offer a lease variation charge remission to facilitate redevelopment or adaptive reuse of commercial accommodation that delivers affordable housing.Relieving blockages to affordable purchase
• Introduce variable thresholds for affordable housing based on dwelling size.
• Commence abolition of stamp duty.
• Increase property and income thresholds for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme.
• Explore options for extending the OwnPlace scheme into englobo and joint venture developments.
• Investigate higher targets for affordable housing requirements in englobo releases.
• Develop a Sustainable Land and Affordable Housing Guide.Short term accommodation
• Release land for short term accommodation.
We certainly hope the third time is the charm.
UPDATE 15/07/12 12:36: Zed Seselja is making merry:
“For Andrew Barr to now release yet another “phase? of his window dressing
housing strategy is farcical, given ACT Labor?s complete inability to provide
affordable first homes after 11 years,” Mr Seselja concluded.
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