Social housing is being built at the fastest pace since the 1980s. But we are still leaving hundreds of thousands of Australians waiting for a home.
- Emeritus Professor of Housing, UNSW
Australia shares many of the issues the European Commission’s plan tries to tackle, from lack of housing construction to taxation. Here’s are some lessons.
The government’s scheme will open to applications soon, promising to help thousands get onto the property ladder. How have similar schemes worked globally?
Neither major party wants to change two longstanding concessions for property investors – negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount. We invited four experts to unpack who benefits, and how.
Labor and the Coalition have both made some big housing policy announcements this election, but there are real problems going unaddressed.
Agencies that help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are struggling to house them because of the shortfall of social housing and intense competition for affordable rentals.
With the government’s legislation passing the senate, Australia has new tax concessions to drive the construction of rental properties. Here’s how they work.
The scheme is another worthy micro-measure, but a wider, cohesive housing strategy remains absent.
Governments’ policy inaction and complacency bear much of the blame for the lack of affordable housing. But a new report detects signs of hope in Queensland.
The government has made housing a federal policy priority after a decade of neglect. But the scale of the housing crisis means its actions to date are just a start – much more must be done.
Brisbane rents are up nearly 50% more than the national average and homelessness in Queensland is increasing at the fastest rate in the country. The state can take several steps to turn things around.
Why are some of the problems with housing stress and homelessness worse in New South Wales than in other states?
Three bills to go before parliament confirm the Albanese government is restoring the Commonwealth to a leadership role on housing issues. But there are still gaps in its approach.
The main driver of homelessness in Australia is housing costs – post-COVID rents, house prices and interest rates are all much higher. To house everyone, the housing system needs a major overhaul.
Targets of 50,000 new homes for rent at below-market rates and 1 million homes to improve affordability in general are positive steps, but the budget neglects the need to reform an ailing system.
While the Productivity Commission’s critique of the national housing agreement is justified, its faith in the market is not. The Albanese government is right to invest in building social housing.
Our new report, released today, reveals a social housing system in crisis.
The pledge to build 30,000 homes over the next five years exposes the government’s inaction, but it’s still only a fraction of the number Australians need.
More people than expected needed help, and the states have found stable housing for less than a third of rough sleepers who were put up in hotels. A hands-off federal government simply isn’t helping.
Some rent assistance is paid to households who don’t much need it. Others who do need it miss out.
Australia found shelter for more than 33,000 rough sleepers and other homeless people during the pandemic, but a coming surge in homelessness demands a comprehensive national housing strategy.
There’s a program ready. It’d create 30,000 homes and renovate thousands more, creating up to 18,000 jobs.
The fallout from COVID-19 for housing and homelessness just adds to the urgency of fixing the long-standing ills of the housing market. The well-being of Australia’s economy and people depends on it.
The pandemic has brought to a head deep-rooted problems with how housing is provided in Australia. Fortunately, the solutions can play a central role in the national recovery process.
Millions of Australians are struggling with unaffordable housing. It’s a systemic problem that’s been decades in the making, and only concerted system-wide reforms will fix it.
Contact Hal for
- Media request
- Speaking request
- Consulting / Advising
- Research collaboration
- Location: Canberra, Australia
- Website
- LinkedIn: Hal-Pawson
- Article Feed
- Joined
