The Comeback of National Housing Policy in Australia: First Reflections

Abstract

Following election of a new national government in November 2007, Australian housing policy is undergoing major reform under the leadership of the first dedicated national Housing Minister since 1996. A new intergovernmental agreement to frame future housing policy and drive major reform of social housing commenced in 2009. The Australian Government has also embarked on a variety of major housing initiatives that include: offering subsidies to private investors in new affordable rental housing; subsidising costs of residential development where savings are passed to homebuyers; and national partnership agreements, which incorporate targets to improve housing in remote Indigenous communities and to significantly reduce homelessness. As well, investments in additional social housing and cash assistance to first homebuyers have featured strongly in economic stimulus packages that are designed to offset domestic impacts of the global financial crisis. An increase of over 220 per cent in national government expenditure on housing over the period 2008/09 to 2011/12 indicates the magnitude of change. This paper documents Australia's new policy settings and examines the reform directions critically in the context of the ongoing debate in the housing literature about the role of national housing policy in increasing the supply of affordable and appropriate housing, economic development, wealth creation and social welfare.Australia, national housing policy,

Inquiry into the future of the private rental sector

“… The main form of direct assistance to private renters, CRA payments to income support and family tax benefit recipients, has essentially been in place in its current form since the early 1990s (Milligan and Pinnegar 2010).…”

Bold reform or policy overreach? Australia's attack on homelessness: 2008–2013

“…We shouldn't be allowing this to happen. (Rudd, 2008) The Prime Minister's comments about homelessness being wrong are consistent with the formal policy documents of his government that saw homelessness as happening to anyone, and a problem that was firmly embedded within structural deficiencies within Australian society, particularly the widely perceived inequalities in the housing sector (Milligan & Pinnegar, 2010). The wrong that he referred to involved structural dimensions of the Australian society that he inherited as Prime Minister.…”

“…Further, Australia's contemporary policy agenda to end homelessness can only be understood by taking into account broader and concurrent objectives of addressing deficiencies in Australia's housing system, with housing affordability a crucial and politically important issue (Milligan & Pinnegar, 2010). More than six years has passed since Australia explicitly looked to the international stage and established a new homelessness policy direction.…”

Critical Urban Infrastructure

“…This was observed acutely through the introduction of the Social Housing Initiative as part of the Commonwealth Government's two year $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan in 2009-2010(Australian Government 2008. Perhaps also reflecting calls for further investment in critical social infrastructure such as affordable and social housing which had remained underfunded in recent years (Milligan and Pinnegar 2010), there has been an observable shift towards thinking about housing as infrastructure reflecting the job creating opportunities that arise (Maclennan et al 2015, Pradolin 2016. In contrast to housing, public transport remains a second order priority to large-scale road building efforts in Victoria (East West Link, Western Distributor, North East Link), New South Wales (Westconnex) and Western Australia (Perth Freight Link) despite efforts to build light rail and expand heavy rail services in these states.…”