Housing top of agenda for Vasse candidate

Yallingup local Mia Krasenstein launched her second consecutive campaign with The Greens for the state seat of Vasse last month, in front of a crowd of supporters at Caves House Hotel.

The volunteer firefighter and environmental policy consultant holds a degree in political science and international relations, and said housing is The Greens’ “big ticket item” for the upcoming election.

“In Vasse, people are living in tents and cars because they can’t afford the rental prices or to buy their own home,” she said.

“With Dunsborough median house prices increasing by 92.6 percent in the last five years, it’s no wonder homelessness has become a critical issue in our electorate.”

In December, The Greens announced a range of policies aimed at addressing housing shortages, targeting Air BnB investors with an annual 90 day limit on entire-home short stay accommodation that they say would free up at least 3000 homes across WA.

“We want to responsibly build more affordable housing, ensure that there are lower vacancy rates in WA through the application of a 3 percent vacant property tax, and that entire houses rented through AirBnB are instead converted into long-term rentals; to be clear, this does not apply to your granny flat or spare room,” Ms Krasenstein said. “A short-term rent freeze will support renters to get their head above water, and after this time landlords can increase the price of rent at a rate of Consumer Price Index + 10 percent of CPI once every 12 months.

“We believe this is a fair outcome for landlords and renters at a time where unregulated price increases have made renting unaffordable for people in the South West and forced people out of homes and towns.”

Ms Krasenstein advocates for environmental protections and action to address climate change, noting the impacts being felt in Vasse with greater fire risks and prolonged dry periods impacting bush and homes.

“The Greens are the only party serious about addressing the climate crisis and transforming WA into a renewable powerhouse, which will positively impact the environment, our safety and power bills.”