By Andrew Brown and Tess Ikonomou in Canberra

HOUSING Minister Julie Collins has vowed to use every method necessary to break a deadlock to set up a multi-billion-dollar housing fund.

Ms Collins reintroduced legislation to set up the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund on Wednesday after the first try at passing the bill was held up in the Senate.

The fund has been blocked by the coalition and Greens, with the minor party demanding an agreement from national cabinet for a rent freeze.

Ms Collins said there could not be any further delays in setting up the housing fund.

“The Housing Australian Future Fund will be the start of an enduring promise from the Australian government that more Australians will have a safe affordable place to call home. Our government has not forgotten that promise,” she told parliament.

“The government will use every process available to us to make the case for this important legislation.”

The reintroduction of the bill could deliver a double dissolution trigger, should it be blocked a second time later in the year.

Such a trigger gives the prime minister an opportunity to dissolve the lower house and the whole Senate, rather than the usual half, and go to an election.

The housing fund would deliver 30,000 social and affordable homes in its first five years, with 4000 for women and children at risk of domestic violence.

Ms Collins said this would provide certainty for those in need of social and affordable homes, as well as those in the industry.

“The government once again invites this parliament to show its support to deliver more housing for all Australians,” she said.

“We invite those who stood opposite us in this place, or stood outside, to stand with us now to deliver that safety and security a home provides, to stand with the states and territories and community housing providers who are ready to hit the ground running.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken with Greens leader Adam Bandt at the weekend about the housing fund.

He said the Greens liked the housing fund being unresolved as they wanted to campaign over the issue.

“It’s a bizarre position which says you want people to be kept in poverty so that you can have a political campaign,” he told ABC radio.

Mr Albanese said the issue of rent freezes was in the jurisdiction of the states and territories.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the party would meet the government later this week for further negotiations on the bill and she was optimistic.

“But, of course, the prime minister has to stop being so stubborn about this,” she told ABC TV.

“His threats over a double (dissolution) … it’s a distraction, it is nonsense.

“Let’s just sit around the table and work out how we can help the third of Australians who he is currently ignoring, and that is those in the rental crisis.”