The form of housing in any society influences the nature of the community and its social cohesion. The Tasmanian Greens encourage housing that supports communities, is environmentally sustainable and avoids suburban sprawl. A good quality home that is affordable to purchase or rent, and to maintain, provides the foundation for a fulfilling home life for the occupant.

All new private housing will need to be energy efficient, located in areas not prone to fire, flood or rising sea levels, meet high but affordable construction standards and be serviced in environmentally sound ways.

Social housing will primarily target those in greatest need such as the homeless, those in dire circumstance, people on low fixed incomes who are unable to secure their own accommodation, or sufferers of ongoing, debilitating illness who cannot afford a domicile.

To ensure that all Tasmanians have a home, we support a competitive private rental market that is sufficient and fair.

The Greens will implement strategies to improve the standard of both new and existing homes so that they are safe, energy efficient and water efficient, and will provide incentives to increase the level of occupancy. A significant level of financial support is required to replenish social housing stocks run down due to under-investment in this area by successive state governments.

Measures

Affordable Housing:  support research and development in innovative housing design and distribution to make it affordable and appropriately located for the occupants’ needs; encourage urban infill and creative use of urban space for low income housing

Social Housing: expand social housing until the public sector is able to meet demand; provide security of tenure for tenants along with agreed regular reviews of rental levels; develop innovative tenancy agreements that encourage tenants to take care of homes; upgrade older public housing with integral energy efficiency and fire safety features; enable tenants to purchase homes at market rates; review the public housing waiting list criteria to ensure a transparent and easily understood process of qualification for public housing; give priority to mental health, other special needs and emergency re-housing cases; establish trials of public housing on small acreages for those qualifying for public housing who have an interest in small-scale agricultural or compatible enterprises; develop a Good Neighbour Charter to apply when social housing is proposed for a particular site; support schemes where the tenants’ contribution of labour is rewarded by equity in their homes

Energy and Water Efficiency:  mandate minimum energy and water efficiency standards for all new homes; establish achievable minimum standards for existing homes; ensure that the initial extra costs of efficiency measures are spread over a reasonable timeframe for occupants who can demonstrate that the cost will cause financial hardship; develop partnerships with water and energy authorities that manage demand by installing solar hot water systems, meters, tanks and reuse systems; provide education and support programs for all new efficiency measures

Home Safety:  mandate strict safety standards for all new constructions; enable low income earners to trade off any subsidies they receive on energy costs against the installation costs of smoke detectors and circuit breakers to improve home safety

Maintenance:  set consistent and fair standards for the maintenance of all publicly funded accommodation so as to provide a healthy living environment for the occupant, and optimise the potential for community participation and social inclusion

Future Demand:  undertake research to determine the probable future demand for social housing so as to advise the public on the availability of appropriate and affordable housing, and the conditions under which it will be made available

Housing Debt: negotiate the transfer of debt incurred under the former Commonwealth Housing Agreement to the general government sector and negotiate with the Australian Government to extinguish that debt

Winter Electricity Rebate: create innovative schemes that enable Health Care Card holders to trade the subsidy they currently receive in exchange for double glazing, heat sealing and insulation to minimise their home energy costs

Building Materials Supply: prepare a building material supply strategy to guarantee an environmentally sustainable availability of resources

Sustainable Communities: ensure that any new sites developed for housing have appropriate recreational space nearby, are pedestrian and bicycle friendly, and have access to transport, education, employment, health and support services

Alternative Housing: encourage the development of innovative housing schemes including cooperatives and co-housing arrangements