Flood plan to hit housing supply
The federal government’s $5.6 billion flood rebuilding plan has been criticised by the housing industry following the revelation that the plan involves dramatic cuts to housing policies.
Urban Taskforce’s chief executive Aaron Gadiel said that rebuilding flood-affected communities was clearly vital, but shouldn't come at the expense of a coherent federal housing strategy.
According to Mr Gadiel, the flood plan will see the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) wound back from the foreshadowed 100,000 homes to just 35,000 and the halving of the Building Better Regional Cities Program.
Although Mr Gadiel said these initiatives always lacked sufficient funding, they were “symbolically important” and could have helped ease affordable housing problems.
"Instead the government has elected to cut back funding to comparatively paltry levels."
"If the government's small, but symbolic, housing affordability programs are to be chopped, what hope can we have that the major issues will be addressed?" he asked.