The South Australian Greens want to bring back the Housing Trust and say they would build 40 000 public houses over four years, including over 1200 on the Fleurieu.

The Greens say that (at its peak) the South Australian Housing Trust (SAHT) was building 47 percent of all new residential dwellings in South Australia per year, the equivalent of 7,000 homes per year today.

They say that because the SAHT provided homes for any worker who applied – not just the poor and homeless – it was able to generate enough income to be self-sustaining, despite the fact rents were still capped at 20 percent of income.

As the Fleurieu App has previously reported, renters on the Fleurieu have experienced the highest rent increases in regional South Australia over the past year.

Fleurieu has highest regional house prices in SA

Under a Greens government the SAHT would be given the power to construct crucial public infrastructure surrounding new housing developments including transport infrastructure, public parks and sporting facilities,  and have the power to recommend the construction of new public schools in areas of need.

Tenants would be have their rents capped at 25 per cent of their income or the market rent (whichever is lower) and have a lifetime right to their home.

The Greens believe it would create 10 000 construction jobs.

Sixteen thousand of the homes would be allocated towards people on the social housing waitlist with the other 24,000 made available to anyone who applies, with priority given to teachers, nurses and other key workers.

They say this would ensure a good social mix of different workers, families types and incomes and avoid the concentrations of disadvantage that come with heavily means tested public housing.

The SAHT was initially established in 1936 to provide low-cost housing.

Government led housing and renewal projects in South Australia are now undertaken by Renewal SA.

The Fleurieu based Greens SA candidates in the March 19 state election are Anne Bourne (Finniss), Jason Garrood (Mawson) and Timothy White (Hammond).