Renters and social housing advocates are awaiting the outcomes of a national cabinet meeting where federal, state and territory leaders are under pressure to address a growing crisis.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host his colleagues in Brisbane on Wednesday in the shadow of his government's stalled multi-billion dollar housing fund.
A $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund failed to pass the Senate due to a lack of support from the coalition and Greens, who argue little has been done to adequately address issues experienced by renters.
While the fund would provide 30,000 social and affordable homes in its first five years, the Greens had called for a rent freeze in exchange for their support.
Greens housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather said it would be "extraordinary" if a group of mostly Labor premiers and the prime minister decided they would lock in unlimited rent increases.
"The reality is right now (renters) are facing a more dire crisis financially than at any point, 62 per cent of renters are now in financial stress, that is a record in Australian history since World War II," he told ABC News.
"We're not saying a freeze on rent increases would fix everything, but it's part of a solution."
Housing advocacy body Everybody's Home said national cabinet could start easing the crisis if it introduced strong reforms to protect renters.
"There's no doubt we need more social housing but we also need to fix the unstable and unaffordable private rental market," spokesperson Maiy Azize said.
"Many renters are not only struggling to secure a home but when they have one it's a battle to keep it.
"Landlords have jacked up rents at an extraordinary pace and are getting away with unfairly evicting tenants and providing them with poor-quality homes."
Mr Albanese said he was confident there would be a positive outcome from national cabinet and he was committed to working with leaders on a solution.
There'll be a focus on housing supply as a way of solving the issue.
"We're really hoping (the housing fund) goes through and that The Greens in particular have a rethink and break away from their contradiction," he told Triple M Hobart.
"You can't say you want more public housing and then vote against it."
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he welcomed the focus on housing at national cabinet.
"Tackling the housing crisis will involve a whole of community approach, involving industry and every level of government," he said.
"Ambitious targets are welcome, but this will require a strong federal-state partnership to deliver them."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had warned a proposed cap on rent would see less investment in the housing market.
"We want more homes being constructed. We want more supply coming online, not just for renters, but for first time buyers and for others in the marketplace at the moment," he said.
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