Labor and the Greens both say they are open to negotiations on the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund while remaining at a stalemate over the government's signature bill.
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The government will be looking to push the housing fund bill through the Senate when Parliament resumes this month.
But the bill, which proposes investing $10 billion and using returns to build social and affordable housing, will need the support of either the Greens or the Coalition to get through Parliament. Both moved to block a vote on the bill in May.
The Greens want the government to commit $2.5 billion for public and affordable housing per year and $1 billion to coordinate a national rent freeze.
Housing Minister Julie Collins told Sky News on Sunday the federal government doesn't have the powers to implement a national rent freeze but that they were working with states and territories "to have more consistency" on renters rights.
Ms Collins said the future fund is not the government's only investment in housing and that the government has been "pretty clear we're happy to have discussions right across the Parliament".
"We'll keep having conversations until the final vote in the Senate," she said.
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Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Greens housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather said his party has reduced demands on spending for affordable housing and a national rental freeze but Labor were "refusing to budge" on the "two key issues".
"We've said to the government we're still willing to negotiate," he said.
"But what we aren't willing to accept is the Labor Party refusing to produce a single extra guaranteed set of funding for public and affordable housing and throw the one-third of this country who rent to the wolves."
The government earlier secured the support of Jacqui Lambie Network senator Tammy Tyrrell and Jacqui Lambie after guaranteeing that each state and territory will receive at least 1200 affordable homes.