Housing

What it is

Rent levels, rental security, first-home entry and social-housing supply. Labor's response: Affordable Housing Rental Scheme settings (rent = min(30% income, 74.99% market rent); 5-year leases) and $6.3bn Big Housing Build (¹); Coalition pledge to abolish stamp duty for first home buyers up to $1m.

Evidence

DemosAU found housing only 5th at 8% in Victoria (unlike other states) — a notable lower-salience finding (²). But the rental crisis data is stark: 37.8% of notices to vacate were over unpaid rent; new tenants paid up to 9% more than the previous tenant; households spend ~a third of median income on rent, with arrears acute in Melbourne's west (³). ~2 million Victorians rent; ~30% of private renters on pre-2021 leases miss minimum standards (⁴). Greens propose a two-year rent freeze and rent caps (PBO: >$15,500 saving by 2030) plus 88,000 public homes (³).

Where it bites

Melbourne's west and growth corridors, inner/middle suburbs; first-home buyers in outer suburbs.

Who owns it

Greens/renters' groups own the rent-control demand; Coalition owns first-home-buyer tax relief; Labor defends its record but faces "housing ranked low but crisis acute" mismatch (²(;³ ).