Julie Lawson and colleagues write in The Conversation (26.6.19) about the findings of a new AHURI report on social housing policy, indicating that the federal and state governments need to build thousands more social housing units in the next 20 years.
‘Australia will need another 730,000 social housing dwellings in 20 years if it is to tackle homelessness and housing stress among low-income renters. These are the findings of a new report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), which shows social housing is in urgent need of direct public investment.
‘Instead of directly investing in social housing, the federal government has sought to establish investment opportunities for other actors, such as pension funds and private corporations.
‘The vehicle for this investment is the National Housing Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC), which was established to offer lower cost finance to social housing providers.
‘The federal government has also encouraged states and territories to focus public resources on supply, land policy reform and the use of planning methods such as inclusionary zoning to deliver affordable and social housing.
‘These initiatives are worthy, but they won’t generate enough new social housing supply on their own. Without direct public investment in the form of a needs-based capital investment program, the government is unlikely to fill the social housing gap.’
- Australia’s social housing policy needs stronger leadership and an investment overhaul »
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- Queensland’s 100,000-property public housing shortfall revealed »
- The construction of social housing pathways across Australia »
- Plenty of ideas, not much money »
- Fall in ageing Australians’ home-ownership rates looms as seismic shock for housing policy »
- Rudd’s rental affordability scheme was a $1 billion gift to developers. Abbott was right to axe it »
- Don’t tear it down: the idea behind Labor’s National Rental Affordability Scheme is worth saving »
- Affordable housing lessons from Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore: 3 keys to getting the policy mix right »
- Understanding the experience of social housing pathways »
- Australia’s housing system needs a big shake-up: here’s how we can crack this »
- Why the focus of stimulus plans has to be construction that puts social housing first »
- Coronavirus shows housing costs leave many insecure. Tackling that can help solve an even bigger crisis »
- Make social housing work »
- Beyond shelter »
- ‘Confusing and not delivering enough’: developers and councils want new affordable housing rules »
- After COVID, we’ll need a rethink to repair Australia’s housing system and the economy »
- What would it really take to supercharge social housing? »
- $500 million on social housing repairs: Albanese’s alternative budget »
- Social housing waiting list could fill a town larger than Gladstone »
- Queensland’s housing ‘crisis’ requires $4.1b, social services tell state government »
- Federal budget fails to address Australia’s housing shortage and homelessness, experts say »
- Albanese’s $10bn pledge pushes housing needs back into the limelight »
- Here’s what the budget did to get Australians into homes (hint: not much) »
- Evaluation and learning in public housing urban renewal »
- The compelling case for a future fund for social housing »
- Industry groups say enough – ‘we must fix the housing crisis’ »
- Managing access to social housing in Australia: unpacking policy frameworks and service provision outcomes »
- Demolition job: Auditor-General’s wrecking ball report on social housing failures »
- Social housing initiative hailed as ‘turning point’ by Minister »
- Yes, the 1.5 million Australians getting rent assistance need an increase, but more public housing is the lasting fix for the crisis
- Australia must realise the best form of rent control is public housing
- After decades of neglect a housing accord could be the game-changer Australia needs
- Australia’s housing crisis is deepening. Here are 10 policies to get us out of it
- Building in the same old ways won’t end the housing crisis. We need innovation to boost productivity
- Labor set for conference housing stoush as big union demands super profits tax
Is this a housing system that cares? That’s the question for Australians and their new government
Emma Power and Kathleen Mee write in The Conversation (28.5.19) that the Morrison government, having added a housing minister to its ranks, needs to recognise housing as having more than just economic value.
‘Growing numbers of Australians are locked out of home ownership or struggling in insecure and unaffordable private rental markets. There are concerns about home owners drowning in debt. And for lower-income earners, high housing costs mean that paying for food, energy bills and health costs is an ongoing challenge.
‘It is time for a new way of talking about housing in Australia. The housing crisis is quickly turning into a crisis of care.
‘We call on the newly re-elected Morrison government and new Housing Minister Michael Sukkar to recognise that the value of housing is not just economic. Housing is an infrastructure of care. Australian governments need to ask: is this a housing system that cares?’
- Is this a housing system that cares? That’s the question for Australians and their new government »
- Focus on managing social housing waiting lists is failing low-income households »
- Australia lost 20,000 public housing units in a decade, study finds »
- Ministers fiddle while buildings crack and burn »
- Instead of locking in future tax cuts, we should increase Newstart and boost social housing »
- If it’s voluntary for developers to make affordable housing deals with councils, what can you expect? »
- People want and need more housing choice. It’s about time governments stood up to deliver it »
- Shh! Don’t mention the public housing shortage. But no serious action on homelessness can ignore it »
- How 1 bright light in a bleak social housing policy landscape could shine more brightly »
- As simple as finding a job? Getting people out of social housing is much more complex than that »
- Why housing evictions must be suspended to defend us against coronavirus »
- As coronavirus widens the renter-owner divide, housing policies will have to change »
- The need to house everyone has never been clearer. Here’s a 2-step strategy to get it done »
- Homebuilder was a blunder – spend the money retrofitting social housing instead »
- Melbourne tower lockdowns unfairly target already vulnerable public housing residents »
- Why public housing is stigmatised and how we can fix it »
- As demand for crisis housing soars, surely we can tap into COVID-19 vacancies »
- Social housing was one hell of a missed budget opportunity, but there’s time »
- Why more housing stimulus will be needed to sustain recovery »
- Economist survey finds most believe Australia’s lack of social housing is costly »
- Only three rental properties in Australia are affordable for singles on jobseeker – study »
- ‘Frontline workers’ among those to get priority in Albanese’s housing program »
- The Australian public purse is already pumping big money into housing – just not where it’s needed »
- Social housing rescued me when I fled domestic violence in 1970s Australia. That safety net has long gone »
- Young Australians should score Labor’s housing policy gymnastics harshly »
- Time for a knock-down-rebuild of housing policy »
- Fixing the housing crisis will take more than national summits and inquiries »
- Alternative housing models for precariously housed older Australians »
- ‘Getting onto the wait list is a battle in itself’: insiders on what it takes to get social housing »
- ‘I’ve been on the waiting list for over 20 years’: why social housing suitable for people with disabilities is desperately needed »
- ‘It’s just been a hellride’: how the end of the affordable housing scheme is pushing families to the edge
- Australia’s defunct housing industry cannot go on like this
- Where does the Australian housing industry go from here?
- Commonwealth rent assistance has no effect on Australia’s housing affordability, Anglicare says
- States given ultimatum: Meet social housing targets or face penalties
- Australia needs a national strategy to fix decades of poor housing policies, researchers say
- The housing crisis is pushing more Australian renters into poverty. We need urgent change