- Published:
- Saturday 4 March 2017
Every Victorian deserves the safety and security of a home.
But for many, that’s becoming increasingly harder.
A significant number of Victorians, particularly young Victorians, are struggling to break into the housing market.
House prices are rising and upfront costs – a deposit, stamp duty and fees – quickly add up.
It’s getting harder for renters too.
Many struggle to meet high rental prices, or instead choose to live in unsuitable housing. Some don’t have the security they need, or the capacity to personalise their home as they would like.
At the same time, the number of Victorians who need to access public and community housing is growing. Waiting lists are long, and many of our existing homes have fallen into disrepair.
In short, too many Victorians don’t have a real choice about where they live, or the type of home they live in.
And as our population grows, inaction will only make things worse.
Fixing this problem isn’t simple.
It’s why Homes for Victorians provides a co-ordinated approach across government, and across our state. It includes:
- abolishing stamp duty for first time buyers on homes up to $600,000 and cuts to stamp duty on homes valued up to $750,000
- doubling the First Home Owner Grant to $20,000 in Regional Victoria to make it easier for people to build and stay in their community
- creating the opportunity for first home buyers to co-purchase their home with the Victorian Government
- making long-term leases a reality
- building and redeveloping more social housing – supporting vulnerable Victorians while creating thousands of extra jobs in the construction industry.
It builds on existing work being done, including the soon to be released Plan Melbourne 2017-2050, reform of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, the Better Apartment guidelines and the Family Violence Housing Blitz.
It also builds on our efforts to better connect Victorians with services and infrastructure. From schools to health care, roads to public transport, regardless of where they live, every Victorian should have access to the things they need.
It’s a big job, but the aim is simple: to give every Victorian every opportunity to find a home.