Economic stimulus proposal: Healthy & affordable homes

Together with over 50 other organisations, we are calling for governments to invest in energy efficiency and solar PV for low income homes to stimulate tens of thousands of jobs, cut energy bills and emissions.

As we move to respond to the COVID Crisis, we should aim to build back stronger and more resilient.

We should start from first principles, agree criteria for the way forward, adopt measures that meet these criteria and set specific goals to be achieved.

To succeed, we must work together:government, community, business and unions.

Our First Principles includes jobs-rich growth, a focus on people most at risk, a collaborative approach with a regional focus, improving liveability and resilience and reducing carbon emissions.

Our Criteria includes targeting projects towards people on lower incomes who are most likely to spend in the economy, projects that generate jobs quickly but deliver long-term security, assist the most disadvantaged regions and deliver long-term social, economic and environmental benefits.

One job-rich Proposal that will help people and communities to recover and build back stronger, is to create healthy and affordable homes by improving the energy productivity of low-income existing homes.The proposal has four components:

1. Social housing – Federal and state/territory governments provide matching funds to invest in energy efficiency upgrades and solar PV installations for social housing dwellings.
2. Low-income home owners – The Federal Government partner with state/territory, local councils and community organisations to provide energy efficiency audits, upgrades and solar PV installations for low-income owner occupiers.
3. Inefficient rental properties – Over the next two to three years, COAGEnergy Council is working on a proposal to implement mandatory energy efficiency standards for rental properties. In the meantime, the Federal Government could provide grants to landlords to support the upgrade of poor performing rental properties.
4. Low-income appliance replacement offer – Governments provide subsidies for low-income households to replace inefficient appliances, or purchase more energy efficient appliances.

Read more in the statement:
Joint Proposal for Economic Stimulus – Healthy & Affordable Homes: National low-income energy productivity program