Union demands fivefold increase in public housing amid 30 per cent rent rise fears

A union boss is calling for five times more public housing to be built amid claims that rents could increase by up to 30 per cent over the next two years. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) will table a proposal to parliament on Wednesday demanding a national standard of two year rental leases and more public housing. One in 50 new builds are public housing under current rates but the ACTU wants this raised to one in 10, which would be the highest levels since the 1980s under the Hawke government. MORE: Sydney suburbs where ‘four times as many’ homes are being built Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O’Neil said too many working people see housing as a source of stress. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman MORE: Sydney locals outraged over $1.4bn data centre ‘sidestep’ ACTU president Michele O’Neil said housing has become a source of stress and the proposal will work to fix Australia’s housing crisis. “We want to see strong rights for renters and a substantial increase in public housing,” Ms O’Neil said. “If we’re serious about fixing the housing crisis, we must increase public housing stock to free up homes in the private rental market and make rentin...