SUSAN RYAN, OLIVER FRANKEL, JOHN MENADUE. Upcoming series on Making Housing Affordable.
Feb 17, 2017After Easter, Pearls and Irritations plans to publish a series ‘Making Housing Affordable‘ addressing key aspects of the housing crisis and recommending solutions, with contributions from a range of experts and other key stakeholders, including economists, planners, demographers, housing providers and policy makers.
Pearls and Irritations has published various blogs on housing affordability for everyone and we will continue to do so.
Despite a boom in housing construction, the cost of housing continues to rise astronomically, making it impossible for growing numbers of people of all ages to rent or buy secure and suitably located accommodation. The depth of the crisis in parts of Australia, including major cities like Sydney and Melbourne, calls for bold and urgent reform.
We can learn from what is being done overseas, subject always to a test of relevance and feasibility in an Australian context. Successful policy will need to account for our uniquely Australian circumstances, including changing demographic patterns, reduced home ownership among the young, the growing cohort of those approaching retirement without home ownership, and wide disparities between metropolitan and regional areas.
After Easter, Pearls and Irritations plans to publish a series looking at key aspects of the housing crisis, and possible reform, with contributions from a range of experts and other key stakeholders, including economists, planners, demographers, housing providers and policy makers.
In this series, we intend to canvass many avenues of reform, including the values that should guide reform efforts, the importance of addressing both the supply and demand sides of the equation, urban planning considerations (including density and inclusionary zoning), the impact of tax settings, institutional investment in residential housing, innovative approaches to housing design, protections for those who are forced into or opt for long-term rental and, finally and importantly, the role of social housing.
We invite your suggestions and comments on the issues we should consider.
Susan Ryan was Minister for Education in the Hawke Cabinet and Age Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission 2011-2016.
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