GREENS leader Christine Milne has put affordable housing centre stage before the election, saying zero per cent interest rates for non-profit organisations and tax smart housing bonds should be introduced to tackle the problem.

In Perth, Senator Milne said housing affordability was a major problem across Australia, with 225,000 Australian singles and families currently in temporary accommodation or homeless, as they waited years for public housing.



She said zero per cent interest rates on loans for non-profit housing organisations prepared to provide accommodation and long term fixed interest bonds for investors were ways to raise money to build a targeted 12,200 new social houses every year for a decade.



"Australian families are under pressure because of the cost of living," Senator Milne said.



"One of the big pressures with cost of living is just keeping a roof over your head.



"There are 225,000 applicants on waiting lists for social housing and some of those people have been on the list between two and 10 years.



"These are people who in many cases are single, or older Australians on the pension.



"They are young families, people who are seeking a safe and secure place to live.



"In 2003 if you had the basic wage, rental housing would have cost you about 35 per cent of that wage.



"Now, it's about 72 per cent of the basic wage."



Senator Milne said she wanted to invest and build 12,200 new dwellings every year for the next 10 years.



"And we want to fund that through government spending - $1.2 billion," she said.



"But we want to unlock a lot of private spending, particularly through the super funds.



"We estimate that would cost $145 million to unlock $2 billion worth of investment in affordable investment housing."



WA Greens senator Scott Ludlam is up for re-election.



Senator Milne said it was vital the Greens had the balance of power in the Senate to stop the Labor and Liberal parties having too much power in the federal parliament.



Originally published as Greens push affordable homes plan