Tuesday, 17 June 2025

 Gabrielle DE VIETRI (Richmond) (15:54): It is time we fundamentally change how we think about housing in Victoria – not as a commodity just to be bought and sold and profited from but as a basic human right. That is why the Greens today are introducing our bill to enshrine the right to adequate housing in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, because the basic fact is every human needs somewhere to live – somewhere affordable, somewhere accessible, somewhere structurally sound and somewhere habitable. We cannot continue to prioritise the profits of private developers over people’s basic needs and expect the housing crisis to improve.

Documents obtained by freedom of information reveal that this Labor government is sacrificing minimum standards to make building cheaper and more profitable for developers. But cost cutting like shrinking bedrooms and scrapping storage will leave us with unlivable homes, and the way that we live impacts on our mental health, on our employment and education prospects and on our overall happiness. This is why when we increase housing density – which we must do; we must increase supply – the government must also ensure that that supply is affordable and it is livable, otherwise it will just deepen housing inequity. The state government must listen to experts and listen to the community, not just the property developers and the lobbyists, and build for the future.